=== IP 2 - Justin Morneau - Strikeout ===

WHAT PINEDA DID THAT EDWIN JACKSON WOULD NOT HAVE DONE:  See the inscribed circle* again?  (Since it haunted the Twinkies' hitters... it may as well haunt you!)

Notice that pitches 1 and 2 should have been called strikes.  A little Justin Morneau respect here from the home plate ump? ... Edwin Jackson would not have come back from 2-0.  "Big Train" Pineda wasn't even nicked at a glancing blow.

On 2-0, Pineda shrugs.  Oh wow.  There's the black.  Think I'll throw the ball there for a strike.  

On 2-1, check it out again.  Then tell me if there is any pitcher in major league baseball with such routine command.  Well, Roy Halladay does.  Haren and Weaver.  A few guys.  Not at 96 mph.  ...Felix has long stretches of throwing 94 into a teacup.

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And what Jackson might not have done to a LHB, on a 2-2 count, was --- > whip that huge arm through at 97 mph and have the ball pop a parachute for a garbage swing.

Notice that the ball is right in Morneau's wheelhouse, low and in.  Notice that it's Justin Morneau.  Go check the tape.  You could grow a beard waiting for the ball to arrive after Morneau swings.

Hey, what's the $$$ fine for throwing a RH "slider" to a left hand MVP?

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Check out Kubel's and Morneau's evenings, and remember which blog to ask, next time somebody is guaranteeing you that a Michael Pineda type is not ready for the big leagues.  ::billmurrayinnocentsmile::

=== IP 2 - Delmon Young - Strikeout ===

WHAT PINEDA DID THAT EDWIN JACKSON WOULD NOT HAVE DONE:  Well, maybe Jackson coulda done this one.  EJ does get some K's.  :- )

Notice the two-plane CB/FB whipsaw, Dr. D's favorite pitch sequence.

Two sliders (on pitches #2 and #3) start out high and fall off the table.  Then pitch #4 starts out high... and stays up.

Pineda "reached back" for this one.  On ROOT, they showed the ump's eye view.  The perceived velocity was 163 mph.  Young just didn't have time to decide whether to swing. 

Here, go take a look at this Hardball Times article.  It has a neat little animation that really makes the point.  Tip o' th' kelly, Josh.

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=== IP 3 - Drew Butera - Routine SS Groundout ===

WHAT PINEDA DID THAT EDWIN JACKSON WOULD NOT HAVE DONE:  Throw all strikes, with none of the strikes out-and-over.  Go at the hitter on an 0-2 count.  Realize that Butera is feeb and that nothing more than located fastballs is needed.  Be efficient.

Pineda actually missed up a bit on pitch three -- kind of like Ray Allen hitting the back of the rim before it drops for three points.

Butera, defensive on 0-2, put a little arm-swing on an outside 95 fastball and rolled it over to the SS.

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This isn't a BABIP situation, we all get that?  

Drew Butera did not have a 30% chance of knocking that specific 0-2 pitch through fielders for a base hit.  He had maybe a .100, .150 BABIP expectation on that particular swing.  You feel me?

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