Braves Win Second Consecutive 1-0 Game Over
Colorado

post from Talking Chop on 06 September 2012 05:01:40 PM. © Talking Chop

September 6, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Tim Hudson (15) pitches in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE

Two straight games. Just two runs scored (both unearned). Two wins.

It's not how anyone would draw it up and it was far from perfect baseball, but the Braves managed to again win 1-0 today with the run coming via an error.

According to Elias, these two games were the first time ever that Atlanta won back-to-back 1-0 games with both runs being unearned. The last time the Braves won consecutive 1-0 games was July 21 and 22, 1971.

Overall, Atlanta managed to win three out of four even while going 3-35 with runners in scoring position. That's incredible stuff.

Tim Hudson started for the Braves today, and was solid after a rocky start. He allowed six hits and two walks while striking out two in seven solid innings of work.

The only Atlanta run came in the second inning against Jhoulys Chacin. Juan Francisco singled to start the game, and Dan Uggla of all people followed with a backside double to put runners on second and third.

That brought Brian McCann up the plate, and with an 0-2 count, Chacin threw a ball. That was nothing out of the ordinary, but the next part was.

Wilin Rosario tossed the ball back to Chacin, and Chacin just missed it. The ball rolled back toward second base, and Juan Francisco broke for home and scored the only run of the game.

Chacin left after 3.1 innings, with seven hits, one run, no earned runs, three walks, and three strikeouts.

Peter Moylan and Eric O' Flaherty combined to throw a scoreless eighth, and Craig Kimbrel struck out two in the ninth to record his 34th save of the season.

Coming into this week, the Rockies had only lost six games in their history in which they didn't allow an earned run. The most recent team to lose back-to-back games without allowing an earned run was the '87 Royals. The Reds in '84 were the last team to lose 1-0 both days.

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Whats whatever the opposite of the matter is here

post from Philliesflow.com on 06 September 2012 04:59:22 PM. © Philliesflow.com

The Phillies went 45-57 in their first 102 games this year before trading two of their better hitters and replacingRead the Rest...

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Rod Carew 1978 Topps 1977 Batting League Leaders

post from 30-Year Old Cardboard on 06 September 2012 04:51:43 PM. © 30-Year Old Cardboard

Rod Carew 1978 Topps – 1977 Batting League Leaders Rod Carew captured his seventh and final batting crown at the end of the 1978 baseball season. This card from the 1979 Topps baseball card set honors that achievement. While winning … Continue reading →

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I still hate the A's, but I do love blogging

post from True Grich on 06 September 2012 04:02:32 PM. © True Grich

When it comes to the Angels I almost always have something to say; however, when it comes to[...]

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Game 138: Braves 1, Rockies 0

post from Capitol Avenue ClubCapitol Avenue Club on 06 September 2012 03:14:55 PM. © Capitol Avenue ClubCapitol Avenue Club

Source: FanGraphs Game MVP: Tim Hudson, 65 game score Least Valuable Brave: Brian McCann, -.113 Most Valuable Rockie: Charlie Blackmon, .177 Least Valuable Rockie: Everyone else Big plays: 2nd – (ATL) Dan Uggla double to put two in scoring position with no outs, .119 2nd – (ATL) Juan Francisco scored on an error, .020 The [...]

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Garrett Jones is turning in a great year for the
Pittsburgh Pirates

post from Pittsburgh Pirates MLB News - Pirates Baseball Blog on 06 September 2012 02:45:12 PM. © Pittsburgh Pirates MLB News - Pirates Baseball Blog

31-year old lefty swinging 1B/OF Garrett Jones is turning in his best season ever for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012. Jones has played in 121 games for the Pirates so far this year and he is 113 of 387 (.292 avg, .882 OPS) with 62 runs scored, 23 homers, 75 RBIs and 2 stolen [...]

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-the-pittsburgh-pirates/

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The 2012 Baltimore Orioles: Its better to be
lucky than good

post from Bronx Baseball Daily on 06 September 2012 02:38:58 PM. © Bronx Baseball Daily

[...]

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-lucky-than-good/

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1996 HEADLINE Eddie Murray Joins The 3,000/500
Club!!!

post from 30-Year Old Cardboard on 06 September 2012 02:22:08 PM. © 30-Year Old Cardboard

1996 HEADLINE – Eddie Murray Joins The 3,000/5oo Club!!! On this day in 1996, Eddie Murray became the 3rd member of the 3,000 hits/500 home run club!!! Of all of the offensive stats that are recognized in the baseball world, … Continue reading →

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Jarrod Dyson Proving He Belongs

I was never a big Jarrod Dyson fan when he played in the minors. This doesn't make a lot of sense, since I loved Joey Gathright when I was young, but very little about being a fan makes sense when you sit down and try to think logically about it. I didn't think Dyson would be able to hit enough at the major league level, but the Royals would continue to keep him around for his speed. Since I also think speed is a tool that is normally overrated, I would have to hear about how much his speed is effecting the game in ways that "don't show up in the boxscore," which would only annoy me further.

Dyson played a little in 2010 and 2011, but the injury to Lorenzo Cain early in the season gave him the chance to prove that he belonged on a major league roster. The early return was frustrating, with Dyson providing lno value with the bat as well as a couple of terrible fielding errors. His bat was what I expected, and his defense seemed incredibly overrated; not just because of the errors, but his reads to balls looked terrible as well. Many Royals fans, including myself, were ready to send Dyson back down to AAA and just use MITCH as the centerfielder until Cain healed.

Fortunately, the Royals continued to play Dyson, and he rewarded their patience with some quality play. While I don't think Dyson will ever be anything special, he is proving that he can provide value to a major league roster. Although speed is his strongest tool, he is proving that he is an intelligent baseball player as well, and gets the most out of his skill set.

Dyson has been a monster on the basepaths this season, and despite what you may have heard, these things do show up in the boxscore. Fangraphs has Dyson at 3.8 baserunning runs above average this season, which is easily the best on the Royals. It's also good enough to tie him for the eighth best baserunner in baseball this season, despite not having enough at-bats to qualify for the leaderboard. Baserunning runs is a cumulative statistic, not a rate statistic, making it even more impressive his has been able to be so productive on the basepaths with about 250 less plate appearances than the other league leaders.

Dyson's raw speed greatly helps his baserunning ability, as anyone who watched last night's game can attest. Dyson scored from first base on a single. Dyson was stealing second on the play, but managed to make it around the bases so quickly that there was no play at the plate. But the self-proclaimed Mr. Zoombiya is also an intelligent baserunner, knowing when to steal. He has been successful stealing 25 of 29 times this season, good for an 86% clip, which is well above the necessary 75% success rate.

The outfielder's baseball intelligence is also evident when you look at his hitting peripherals. Dyson's complete lack of power is frustrating and will probably keep him from being another better than average, but he makes the most of what he has. He tries to hit the ball on the ground and use his speed to reach base. His approach has been about as successful as one could have hoped for, with a wRC+ of 94. Dyson helps his cause by being patient at the plate, a novel concept lost on most Royals. Incredibly, Dyson has the third highest BB% on the team at 8.6% and is only one of four Royals currently on the 25-man roster to have a walk rate above league average. He also makes solid contact, posting a below-average strikeout rate that gives him a chance to pick up a decent amount of cheap hits.

Finally, Dyson's fielding has also improved as the season has progressed. Fangraphs has his UZR at 1.0 and BIS has him at 2 runs above average. Although one would like someone with Dyson's speed to be a great fielder, he has played above-average defense at a difficult defensive, which has value. The scouting reports on Dyson generally agreed that he was a good fielder, so there is a possibility his defensive statistics improve as the sample size increases.

Overall, Dyson has been worth 1.5 fWAR in a little over half a season's worth of playing time. While that isn't earth shattering, it's a pretty good number for a backup/platoon outfielder. Jarrod filled in well for Cain while he was hurt; given a full season of playing time, it's not unreasonable to think he could be an average outfielder. The more I think about it, however, I think a platoon of Dyson and Cain in the outfield next season would be the Royals best chance at maximizing both of their value next season. Either way, Dyson is showing that he can provide value for the Royals now and in the future.

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9/6 News, Links, Discussion: Minors Season Recap,
Various Player Updates

post from Capitol Avenue ClubCapitol Avenue Club on 06 September 2012 12:57:11 PM. © Capitol Avenue ClubCapitol Avenue Club

Minor in Numbers Mike Minor gave up just one hit over seven shutout innings, walking four and striking out seven Wednesday against the Rockies. It continued a very impressive stretch for Minor that has seen him lower his ERA to 4.58. Minor by month: April: 4.68 ERA, 3.59 xFIP, 23.3 K%, 6.2 BB%, 9.1 HR/FB, [...]

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