While We’re Waiting… Opening day of training camp!
July 25, 2013Cleveland Browns training camp primer
July 25, 2013Despite the win-loss struggles of this past road trip, the Cleveland Indians pitching staff has been on an impressive roll over the past few weeks. In the last 14 games since Carlos Carrasco’s last start on July 6th, they’ve been as good as they’ve ever been in two seasons.
Over those contests, the Indians have held opponents to just 38 runs total (2.7 per game). That’s a new season-best for any 14-game stretch in 2013. Here are the best 14-game pitching stretches of the year:
1st place: 7/7-7/24 — 38 runs (8-6 record)
T-2nd place: 4/24-5/9 — 41 runs (10-4 record)
T-2nd place: 4/22-5/8 — 41 runs (10-4 record)
T-4th place: 4/29-5/13 — 42 runs (12-2 record)
T-4th place: 4/21-5/7 — 42 runs (10-4 record)
6th place: 6/11-6/26 — 44 runs (10-4 record)
Obviously, many other teams have had far better 14-game stretches this season. The Atlanta Braves have the best mark in 2013, per Baseball-Reference.com, in allowing just 26 runs in a streak starting with their second game of the year.
But as a testament to the vast improvement of the 2013 Indians pitching staff, the best 14-game stretch in 2012 allowed 47 runs (3.4 per game).
Now, let’s take a look at the main reasons behind this improvement. Scott Kazmir delivered another outstanding performance on Wednesday. But how about the rest of the starters?
Last 14 games: 2.00 ERA, 6.0 IP/start, 8.9 K/9, 3.8 BB/9, .182/.270/.281 line
First 87 games: 4.62 ERA, 5.2 IP/start, 8.0 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, .262/.335/.427 line
The starters have clearly been much better all around, going longer into games and being more efficient. They might be walking a tad bit more batters, but they’re limiting anything offensively. So how about the much-maligned bullpen? Is there a difference in their recent performance?
Last 14 games: 3.11 ERA, 2.2 IP/game, 8.4 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, .260/.349/.329 line
First 87 games: 4.13 ERA, 3.0 IP/game, 8.9 K/9, 4.0 BB/9, .235/.321/.399 line
In the ERA column, the bullpen has been better, but they’ve been noticeably worse in terms of average and on-base percentage allowed. The huge decrease in slugging also is interesting. Chris Perez (0.82 ERA since return from DL) has been on fire of late, leading this charge.
The opponents over this 14-game stretch haven’t featured that excellent of offenses: Detroit, Toronto, Kansas City, Minnesota and Seattle. The Indians will have a tough task ahead this weekend against the Texas Rangers. We’ll see if this continues, but logically, the Cleveland pitchers aren’t quite as bad as they once were, or as great as they’ve been recently.
[Related: Indians All-Star Break Review: The Starting Rotation]
4 Comments
Just when the pitching locks in the offense and defense go south. Signs that this team is still very much a work in progress. But kudos must be given to Mickey Calloway because he’s done a great job in his first season as pitching coach. We’ll see if they can keep it up.
Detroit is second in the American League in runs scored and Toronto is sixth in runs scored. Texas is ninth in the A.L. in runs scored, just ahead of Seattle and Minnesota who are tenth and eleventh in runs scored. The Tribe is still fourth in runs scored.
This next 10 game stretch before we play the Tigers is huge.
3 vs TEX(2-1)
4 vs CHW(3-1)
3 @ MIA(3-0)
I don’t think it’s crazy to expect 7-3 and hope for 8-2(i put how that could happen easiest in the parenthesis). During that run, the Tigers play just 9 games
1 @ CHW
3 vs PHI
2 vs WAS
3 vs CHW
Detroit should clean up well during that stretch, so its important we don’t lose anymore ground going into what *could be* the most important series for this team since 2007. We are 3.5 back now, it’d be nice if we are 2.0 back by then.
*if the Tigers pull out a few sweeps and we continue to struggle, that series may give DET a chance to go ahead for good
despite the ERA drop, the starters are just going 1 more out into games? that seems odd.