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=== Mr WBC ===

If it seemed like a grind, that's because it kinda was.  For two basic reasons.  

First, because his fastball was sinking and swerving armside.  If you just joined us, when a RHP throws a tailing fastball, it tails itself right onto the barrel of a good lefty hitter's bat, where it is liable to hurt somebody wearing leather on one hand.  Iwakuma threw 17 "sinkers" that averaged 10 inches' swerve and only 3 inches' "rise" ... although they were located well, they were still crushed for an obscene run value by the Indians' stacked lefty roster.  Not much you can do about that.  On the other hand, he threw 20 "four-seamers" that rose more and swerved less, and he got away with those.  The distinction between "sinker" and "four-seamer" was probably inadvertent on Iwakuma's and Montero's parts.

The second reason:  the ump didn't like Iwakuma-san any more than restless media types do.  Notice a few things about this strike zone chart:

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True, there are 4 pitches just outside that are called strikes.  This is a universal rule in baseball:  RHP vs LHB, there's a baseball width outside.  For any RHP.

But notice also six pitches, directly over home plate, just nicking the knees, that are called balls.  The strike zone is supposed to be slightly oval; if you split the plate and you're one inch low, that's a strike.  Slap me silly.

Notice also several pitches way inside the strike zone, up-and-in to LHB's, called balls.  

So:  if you don't count the four strikes just outside - every RHP gets those, and more - I count 8 rulebook strikes changed to balls, another several controversial ball calls, and no blown calls in Iwakuma's favor.  Despite these circumstances, Iwakuma threw 58 strikes and only 31 balls -- to a stacked lefty lineup.  In reality, the performance was more like 70 strikes and 19 balls.

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As Krueger pointed out, Iwakuma leaned heavily on his killer shuuto.  He threw it fully 30 times, and got 7 swings and misses with it.  The Indians' timing was on; they just couldn't make contact.  Somehow, those 30 shuutos saved Iwakuma 2.1 runs, so I guess it would save him 7 runs over the course of a game... figure that one out.  Hint:  double play balls.

Iwakuma has a 3.02 ERA as a starter with a 7.7 strikeout rate.  There are seven starting pitchers in the AL whose ERA's are lower than 3.02, including Felix, Verlander, and Jered Weaver, but not including CC Sabathia, Yu Darvish or CJ Wilson.  We're not saying that Iwakuma is better than CJ Wilson, but over Iwakuma's nine starts, he has outperformed Wilson.  He's my key to the streak here, him and Ichiro....

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By the way, Iwakuma's velocity built through the game, and the last two fastballs of the day were his fastest, 93 MPH.  After those two pitches, Wedge came out and got him, whereupon Casey Kotchman blundered that swinging bunt off Oliver Perez to tie the game.  Kyle Seager gave the disgusted look that the Yankees usually give the 2010 and 2011 Mariners when somebody happened to luck into an RBI.  How times have changed :- )

We were gonna say, good on Sgt. Wedge to pull a wobbling starter for his shiny new turbo bullpen.  The moment Perez came in against the lefties, we thought, well, sure.  And it felt like we'd just guzzled an energy shot.

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=== Stephen Pryor ===

Have you noticed that Wedge is now using Capps and Pryor as though they're settled relief aces?  Like in 1-1 ties?  Neither one is quite there yet, but it's fun watching them figure it out.

Pryor is good when he's lazy and he's great when he's rocking back with a high front side, taking the roller coaster up and then down.  Wednesday, he was getting the great hop again, 10-13 inches' rise.

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=== Carter Capps ===

Release point has been consistently low sidearm, via the 3B dugout, since we filed our complaint with the FCC.  Coink-y-dink we're sure.  :- )  (Actually in this case we are pretty sure.)  Point is, the velo has been 98+ since.  We've got a real threat here to dig out a mirror-image Randy Johnson:  flip the RH/LH thing and flip the SP/RP thing.  Also flip the notGQ/GQ thing.  Wasn't there a Bizarro Superman?  Tell me that the Unit wouldn't be that to Capps' Clark Kent.

Blowers pointed out -- we certainly agree -- that the moment Capps begins throwing his slider for called strikes, the same moment hitters will begin swinging through his fastball.  Hasn't happened yet.  't will.

You stoked about Pryor and Capps' launch into the wild blue yonder?

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=== PSA ===

Only three more games until our next automatic win.  And don't we miss Chris Sale this weekend?

Merks sez we gotta beat Chicago, not Detroit, though.  And here we are going against them without Felix and, um, Hisashi Iwakuma.  :- )  No chance of getting James Paxton or Danny Hultzen up here?

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