crewcrazy

His season has more to do with an incredibly high BABIP (.379) than it does anything else. He's hitting .346/.390/.516 this year, but hit .305/.339/.470 in KC last year with a BABIP of .332. I suppose you could try to make the argument that the high BABIP is the result of extra help, but it's not like he's hitting for a ton of power. He was on pace for roughly the same amount of HR and 2B as last year, but the SLG was helped by having 10 triples already (likely a result of the home ballpark and "Triples Alley"). His Line Drive rate is up by about 1% over last year, but he's actually hitting more ground balls and less fly balls than last season. Basically, he's hitting so much better this season because more balls are sneaking through the infield. Unless someone can prove higher testosterone causes more balls to sneak through the infield, I'm more likely to believe this season is a lucky fluke more than the result of being on something.

I just have a hard time thinking the team will truly contend with a rotation of Gallardo-Fiers-Estrada-Thornburg(?)-Peralta(?). Spending money on a FA starter likely won't do a lot of good and likely wouldn't be smart, looking at the secondary options. I'd probably offer Marcum the qualifying offer (around $13MM this year) for draft pick compensation, and if he turns it down, fine; if he accepts, you have a guy more likely to give you good production for that price than anyone you'll find on the market. Even if he gets hurt, it's only a one-year deal.

I'm not sure I want to live in a world where the Pirates (and off-topic, the Cubs) are being run competently. Another buy-low guy the Pirates will have for years, and with the Appel compensation pick, the Bucs could afford to give up the sandwich round pick without it hurting too much. Gorkys isn't going to hit, so they basically gave up nothing (right now) for a 3ish-win 1B option. As a side effect, I wouldn't be shocked if this meant Casey McGehee got DFA'd.

I really like the deal for Pittsburgh. I'm not a huge believer in Brad Lincoln being for real in the bullpen, with a FIP nearly a run higher than his ERA. I'm not convinced he'll play well out of the bullpen in the AL East. Snider is a decent buy-low gamble. Hard to believe he's only 24. If he can figure it out, that's a pretty damn good (young) outfield in Pitt. This is the kind of move the Pirates should be making this year, by the way. Guys with a bit of untapped potential/years of control beyond the next year or two.

If I had to guess Hellweg's K numbers dropped with a full-time move to the rotation as he focused on control/mechanics and conserving energy. Good news is that his stuff isn't straight..his fastball has a lot of sink/tail action going on...the kind of thing that happens when you're 6'9" and throwing with such a downward plane. Think Kam Loe with big velo. Hopefully even if he doesn't have the impressive K numbers you'd expect with that stuff, he'll force a lot of groundballs. Overall a really good deal for two months of Greinke, and more than I was expecting. Don't underestimate the power of supply&demand.

At least this game gave us this. http://i.minus.com/ivoQhqyDSK93f.gif

Bummer of a loss, but impressive that this lineup could keep trying to fight back, given the way things were today. Roenicke went to Braun in the right spot, Braun got a pitch he usually murders (middle-in), just barely missed it. Axford HR to Barmes (that actually had to bounce over) ended up being a killer. Fiers did about as good as you could expect for a fill-in starter. HRs are going to hurt him in home starts, and the McCutchen HR was just a really impressive AB.

Bench is even shorter than that -- BA is in Detroit today.

Roenicke must be taking some of us too seriously when we say Dillard should never face lefties. Seriously, though, this is borderline LaRuss-ian. Not the first time he's done this, either.

Whatever you say Einstein. There's no need for this, or the "Steinke" stuff. Knock it off.

Haudricourt says achilles tightness for Braun, explaining the night off. Ransom also has aches and pains, since he's not used to playing every day.

I'm fine with Braun getting the night off with the late flight and quick turnaround. The guy's played in 48 of 50 to this point. Not sure what's so terrible about this lineup, other than Maysonet in for Ransom. It's not like Ransom's been lighting it up, either.

Who could have possibly predicted the IBB for Braun after the Aoki bunt?

Looked like Gomez reinjured his own hamstring beating out that hit. Had no prayer on that pickoff move if he couldn't push off to dive back. Not good.

To be fair, it's hard to blame a pitcher for walking Matt Kemp. Nice effort by Gomez on trying to cut off the ball hit by Ethier. Run scored anyway, but if it gets to the wall, Ethier might be on third instead of second.