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OBF's picture

RRS could definitely just be a 75 pitch pitcher, but in this specific case he was jobbed by luck and his defense.  Bases loaded two outs (even getting to bases loaded was a bit of bad luck with the HBP on an 0-2 count) and RRS gets Jason Kendall to fly out harmlessly to end the inning, but OH NO neither Figgens or (gasp) Ichiro runs hard to the ball and the wind blew it a touch and it falls in for a Bloop base hit (I was actually quite flabbergasted that neither player seemed to go for that ball hard at ALL, maybe they both thought the other was going to get it.  It sure looked extremely catchable to me)!  Then RRS was rattled and threw a fastball to a guy that should have gotten 10 straight sliders (just like he did to DeJesus in the 3rd IIRC resulting in several garbage swings for an easy K, I think he literally threw like 7 straight sliders to him).  
It is actually my opinion that with RRS it is NOT a physical issue but a mental one.  He was cruising along just fine and then all of a sudden it is the sixth inning and he starts getting the yipps a little bit.  Once it got to the sixth inning it seemed like RRS got nervous.  Then Pods got a hit and I could almost feel the dread coming from RRS.  He quickly gets Butler into an 0-2 hole and then... overthrows and plunks him right in the back.  What happened to the super smooth unflappable guy we had just seen mow through the KC lineup for 5 innings???  Jose guillen then did RRS a favor by flying out on a sucker pitch, but again with the next batter RRS starts overthrowing and spikes a slider for a wild pitch and then walks Calsspo.  Then the unlucky, defense didn't help out bloop single, and then RRS threw a FB to a guy that should have gotten 10 straight sliders.  Really at that point RRS was mentally toast and should have been pulled out of the game after the butler HBP.  Not because of anything PHYSCIAL, but because he was obvious mentally gripping.
Shannon mentioned the same thing on the post game show, all of RRS's issues are in his head and with his self-confidence.  I think that RRS has the Physical traits and skills to be a work horse, innings eater, #3, but (just like Snell) he needs to get a grip on his mental demons.

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