Thoughts on Matusz vs. Halladay
Hmph. Well, so much for that "great pitching match up." Brian Matusz got chased after 2.2 innings, surrendering five earned runs, all on three home runs.
I found this game very frustrating to watch because Matusz threw nothing but fastballs and changeups through the first two innings. The Orioles pitching staff has really emphasized working off the fastball to the young pitchers. Chris Tillman, who's best pitch is his huge 12-6 "spike curve", has spoken of being forbidden to throw his fastball in warm-ups and in simulated pitching sessions in order to help him develop his fastball. That's great! That's a good idea. Working off the fastball makes your breaking pitches even better. But to throw nothing but fastballs and changeups in an actual game? Matusz didn't reach the majors as a two-pitch pitcher, why would you think he'd last in the majors as a two-pitch pitcher? He finally started going to his slider and curve in the third, but then he got taken deep a third time and it was over. He actually stayed in the game for a few minutes longer, making a few meaningless throws to the runner on first before getting pulled. I remember being surprised at Dave Trembley giving him the hook at such a time, when he seemed to be getting ready to throw to the next batter, but in retrospect he had probably made up his mind as soon as the third HR left the park and was just having him stall until Brian Bass was ready to come in. I guess I'm okay with that--you've got to take it slow and protect your young guys, not just hang them out to dry. Must be frustrating for Matusz, though: You wait five days to pitch, throw only 62 pitches, then you've got to wait another five days to get out there.
I'm honestly not worried about the home runs; young pitchers get hit, it happens, you take your lumps as a rook and get better. What did bother me, though, is that he kept falling behind hitters, going to 3-0 counts twice and going to several 3-1 counts. His biggest strength was supposed to be his ability to pound the strike zone, and watching him miss over and over is much more worrisome than seeing him get hit.
On the bright side, Halladay had another great game, so it wasn't like the game was a total bust if you were watching it. Melvin Mora, Luke Scott (who has always hit Halladay well), and yes, Cesar Izturis all had RBI hits off Halladay. Cesar Izturis?! Yes, Cesar Izturis.
Nick Markakis reached in his 30th straight game. Since the All-Star break he's hitting .323/.376/.570. That's, uh, really good. Markakis has always, even since he was in the minors, been a second-half player, and considering how bad his first half was, he should be due for an elite second half.
The Orioles begin a West Coast road trip Monday evening, with Guthrie, Hernandez, and Berken scheduled to pitch against the A's. I think the O's should do well with Guthrie on the mound, as the spacious Coliseum should help Guts minimize his home runs, which is his #1 weakness. As for Berken and Hernandez, they're in the same boat as Tillman and Matusz, just trying to figure out how to pitch in the majors and hopefully earn a spot. There is a lot of pressure on Berken especially, because 1.) He's pitched like crap and 2.) He wasn't really ever hyped as 'the next big thing' in the way the others were, and if he keeps slipping he may not get a second shot.
I found this game very frustrating to watch because Matusz threw nothing but fastballs and changeups through the first two innings. The Orioles pitching staff has really emphasized working off the fastball to the young pitchers. Chris Tillman, who's best pitch is his huge 12-6 "spike curve", has spoken of being forbidden to throw his fastball in warm-ups and in simulated pitching sessions in order to help him develop his fastball. That's great! That's a good idea. Working off the fastball makes your breaking pitches even better. But to throw nothing but fastballs and changeups in an actual game? Matusz didn't reach the majors as a two-pitch pitcher, why would you think he'd last in the majors as a two-pitch pitcher? He finally started going to his slider and curve in the third, but then he got taken deep a third time and it was over. He actually stayed in the game for a few minutes longer, making a few meaningless throws to the runner on first before getting pulled. I remember being surprised at Dave Trembley giving him the hook at such a time, when he seemed to be getting ready to throw to the next batter, but in retrospect he had probably made up his mind as soon as the third HR left the park and was just having him stall until Brian Bass was ready to come in. I guess I'm okay with that--you've got to take it slow and protect your young guys, not just hang them out to dry. Must be frustrating for Matusz, though: You wait five days to pitch, throw only 62 pitches, then you've got to wait another five days to get out there.
I'm honestly not worried about the home runs; young pitchers get hit, it happens, you take your lumps as a rook and get better. What did bother me, though, is that he kept falling behind hitters, going to 3-0 counts twice and going to several 3-1 counts. His biggest strength was supposed to be his ability to pound the strike zone, and watching him miss over and over is much more worrisome than seeing him get hit.
On the bright side, Halladay had another great game, so it wasn't like the game was a total bust if you were watching it. Melvin Mora, Luke Scott (who has always hit Halladay well), and yes, Cesar Izturis all had RBI hits off Halladay. Cesar Izturis?! Yes, Cesar Izturis.
Nick Markakis reached in his 30th straight game. Since the All-Star break he's hitting .323/.376/.570. That's, uh, really good. Markakis has always, even since he was in the minors, been a second-half player, and considering how bad his first half was, he should be due for an elite second half.
The Orioles begin a West Coast road trip Monday evening, with Guthrie, Hernandez, and Berken scheduled to pitch against the A's. I think the O's should do well with Guthrie on the mound, as the spacious Coliseum should help Guts minimize his home runs, which is his #1 weakness. As for Berken and Hernandez, they're in the same boat as Tillman and Matusz, just trying to figure out how to pitch in the majors and hopefully earn a spot. There is a lot of pressure on Berken especially, because 1.) He's pitched like crap and 2.) He wasn't really ever hyped as 'the next big thing' in the way the others were, and if he keeps slipping he may not get a second shot.
Labels: Blue Jays, Brian Matusz, Orioles, Roy Halladay
posted by Mr. Crash at
3:39 AM
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