Coach Fletcher’s Tuesday Scouting Edge
Tuesday, July 7
5:05 pm Arizona D-backs vs Texas Rangers
Gallardo Pegged to Stop Ranger Free Fall
The Texas Rangers were just swept at home by division rival Angels. The Angels scored 33 runs in the 3 game series, bad news for the Texas rotation. Yovani Gallardo seeks to put an end to the opponent merry-go-round and has the chops to do just that. Gallardo has been just short of perfect in his last 4 starts allowing 0 runs and only 14 hits in 26 1/3 innings. Yovani has only given up 7 runs in his last 8 starts. He’s only given up more than 4 runs once this season in 17 starts. Gallardo is 8-1 lifetime against Arizona with a 1.98 era. He’s facing the D-backs Robbie Ray who is 0-1 against Texas with an 18.92 era and a 3.904 whip based on 3 1/3 innings pitched in 2014.
5:40 pm Los Angeles Angels at Colorado Rockies
Angels Try to Win With Pitching after Offensive Explosion
The Angels are coming off a 3 game sweep of the Rangers in Texas where they plated 33 runs in the 3 game series on 47 hits. With the Angel offense only averaging 4.1 runs per game, that was definitely a weekend to remember for the offense. Going to Colorado may provide even more ammunition for the offense that hardly seems to need the help. But most of the Angel eyes will not be on the offense tomorrow. Instead they will be focusing on southpaw Andrew Heaney. Andrew was acquired in a 3 team trade with the Marlins and Dodgers. After spending 5 hours with the Dodgers, Heaney was dealt to the Angels for Howie Kendrick, a move very unpopular with Angel fans. Heaney has had only 2 starts this year, both against 1st place teams. On June 24 he shut down the Astros giving up 1 run and 4 hits in 6 innings. Heaney came back June 30 and stopped the NYY giving up 1 run and only 2 hits. His era is sitting at 1.38 with a whip of 0.69.
7:10 pm Philadelphia Phillies at Los Angeles Dodgers
Dodger Bats Hope to Bust Out Against An Old Friend
The LA team is hoping the offense will wake up when they meet a former teammate Tuesday. Or they would be more than happy to duplicate Monday's performance against the hapless Phillies. The Dodgers scored 10 runs in that game, but the once mighty Dodger lineup has been in a prolonged slump. In fact, they have scored more than 4 runs in a game only 5 times in the last 12 contests. They just finished losing 2 of 3 to the Mets at home scoring only 5 runs in 3 games before pounding the Phillies Monday. Former Dodger Chad Billingsley will take a road era of 9.00 with him to the mound against his former team. Chad is 0-2 this year with a 7.71 era and a 1.86 whip. In his last start, fresh off the DL, Billingsley was tagged for 6 earned runs and 10 hits in 5 innings against the last place Brewers. The Dodgers are 28-15 at home and average 4.4 runs per game there. They’ve averaged only 3.3 in their last 7 averaging only .225. LA has a .260 average at home. The Dodgers are still 5th in the NL in runs scored and tied for 1st in the NL in slugging percentage. They are 1st in the NL in team on base plus slugging percentage.
7:10 pm Detroit Tigers at Seattle Mariners
Tigers Hope to Stay Offensive Against Weak Hitting M’s
It may well have been the Toronto pitching or it could have been the Tiger’s reaction to losing MVP Miguel Cabrera for multiple weeks. The sometime sleeping Tiger bats woke up against the Jays scoring 21 runs in the 3 game set, winning 2 of 3. Detroit then came in to Seattle Monday night and plated a dozen runs. The Tigers rank 5th in the AL in runs scored at 4.43 per game. They are 1st in all of MLB in hits per game at 9.69. They rank 4th in the AL in slugging percentage and 1st in all of MLB in on base percentage and 2nd in the MLB in on base plus slugging percentage. . Detroit may not need a lot of runs against the M’s. Seattle is last in MLB runs scored per game at 3.39. The Mariners are even worse at home averaging only 3.15 rpg. Seattle also ranks last in the MLB in batting average at .229.
7:15 pm New York Mets at San Francisco Giants
Colon’s Season is a Roller Coaster
Bartolo Colon’s season has resembled an amusement park roller coaster ride. Which direction he will head tomorrow is anybody’s guess. One of MLB’s senior citizens at 42 years old, Colon started out the year in exceptional form. He recorded a 2.90 era over his first 6 games and was at or near the top of the league in wins. Then the wheels fell off. In his next 3 starts Colon’s era jumped to a massive 9.88. In his most recent 7 starts, Colon has settled in at a more reasonable 4.15. But his history suggests that he’ll take off up or down again soon. Bartolo hasn’t won a game since June 12. He’s coming off a strong start on July 1 versus the Cubs where he gave up just 3 hits and struck out 8 while pitching 7 scoreless innings. In his 2 starts prior to that he gave up 10 earned runs and 19 hits in 10 1/3 innings on the road. Colon is 2-2 against SF with a 5.46 era. 4 Giants have performed well against Bartolo: Brandon Crawford - .571; Justin Maxwell - .333; Angel Pagan - .444 and Buster Posey - .429.