.

See Why?

Poster BSR sez, "Is it just me, or does it feel like Felix has hit Unit/Pedro level?"  It does, because he has.  That's coming from a long-time Felix skeptic, as it were. 

CY is the opposite.  :- )   Every start, it feels like here's where it all turns into a pumpkin.  Monday:

• Leadoff walk, 4 pitches
• Double, blasted into the power alley, 1-0 Jays
• Jose Bautista -- who just tater'ed Felix last night -- up

And Dr. D started hitting the quintuple fast forward.  Six runs, minimum.  But you See Why this guy is tough in Safeco:

• Three precision FB's, right on the black, to Bautista ... followed by a slurve, just off the black ... skied to RF, in Safeco
• Fans the cleanup hitter, Lind, on a fastball at the letters
• Works Navarro Up-n-Down, Up-n-Down, for 8 pitches, pops him up on the infield

The fact is, a located FB is a bread-and-butter pitch in Safeco.  There's a certain foolproof* quality to Young's game when he's in a big park.

.

Lawn Maurer

Came into the game, faced three batters, gave up three hits.   The hits themselves, they were just BABIP and the nature of baseball.  If you don't strike out 27 batters a game, the ball will drop in and you will yield runs.

• 0-2 cutter in on Reyes' hands, nice pitch, fought it off softly into RF for a single
• 96 MPH challenge FB hit on the ground for a double play ... oops, through the infield for a single
• 3-2 cutter missed at the letters to Jose Bautista, who smacked it down the line for a double

Of much more interest was Maurer's demeanor, as he faced adversity, the possibility of huge embarrassment.  Maurer will er, would face this in the playoffs.  SSI is unsure whether Lawn Maurer is truly prepared for a Wade Davis, Daniel Bard type role in October.

....

What was his demeanor, as he took the rubber against Jose Bautista with two men on and 0 out?  He worked quickly, fired the pitches Zunino wanted .... rather than looking sick-to-his-stomach, he looked ... um ... half annoyed, half "is this slop starting up again?"

It's an improvement.  But he ain't tempered steel, yet.

.

McClendon

Pulled Young after 6 IP, 1 ER, 94 pitches.  The media questioned this.  He deadpanned, "We gotta stick to our game plan" (the bullpen).

I love it.

.

History

Nobody is saying that this pitching staff is historic.  The Seahawks' defense probably is, but with the M's arms, we're really just admiring how fun they have been for us.  When we note that their ERA+ is equal to Justin Verlander's.

That said, on TV they noted that 2 ballclubs have allowed an ERA better than the M's, in the DH era:

• 1981 Yankee$
• 1974 A's

Then you have the 2014 M's, with the next-best ERA.   (4th and 5th, the other teams to go sub-3.00, were one of the Earl teams, and another A's team.)

Both the 1981 Yankee$ and the 1974 A's were genuinely epic staffs, a lot of fun to dissect ... Bill James just called the 1973-1974 A's staff the Ultimate Staff in terms of its composition.  In part because their two "long men" were quality #5-6 starters.  The 1981 Yankees had "awesome factor" bursting out the seams.

The 2014 M's right now have a legendary ace, two (2) bullpens :- ) and a rest-of-the-rotation that is --- > 4 guys having good years together.

And a 2+ ERA on the season.  Enjoy WBC-san and the trip back up I-5, eh hoser.

BABVA,

Dr D