Tommy Hunter AGAIN!

[backwardsk]

Hunter bailed out again. Of course, he did force the team to burn two extra relief arms and sit through a 55 minute rain delay.

But I'm sure that won't impact tomorrow's game.

#saverule

Eh, Houston had to throw more innings too.

Still undefeated when Tommy Boy pitches.

[MrOrange82]

Eh, Houston had to throw more innings too.

Still undefeated when Tommy Boy pitches.

No thanks to Tommy Boy.

[section18]

Buck and Hunter lucked out again. Anyone noticing the comments coming from the pitchers and media people commenting about Clevenger and Joseph catching behind the plate? If DD is convinced he can't sign Wieters as he has alluded to is before the All-Star break and trade deadline the time to move him?

[VeveJones007]

Hunter bailed out again. Of course, he did force the team to burn two extra relief arms and sit through a 55 minute rain delay.

But I'm sure that won't impact tomorrow's game.

#saverule

It isn't about tomorrow's game, it's about the next two series with no off day.

[MrOrange82]

It isn't about tomorrow's game, it's about the next two series with no off day.

Sigh...

[Jonesy10]

I didn't watch tonight's game. All I can say was his k/9 was 13.50, gb% was 50%, BABIP was .750, and FIP and xFIP were both 0.08 (!!!!). His FIP is now 3.08 and xFIP is 3.34. His BABIP is .422. I know it is hard to see, very hard right now, but Hunter could be very successful, and according to all of his peripheals, should be right now.

[cacavolante]

Buck is amazing. "We have to do a better job of not creating so many save situations." Drives me crazy. Save situations mean you're at least winning. You just don't have to use the same guy every freaking time. Especially when he's not the best option.

[ShaneDawg85]

Buck is amazing. "We have to do a better job of not creating so many save situations." Drives me crazy. Save situations mean you're at least winning. You just don't have to use the same guy every freaking time. Especially when he's not the best option.

I don't disagree with him, and I don't think anybody fundamentally would disagree with him on that statement. The last two years we've had far too many save opportunities, and I'm sure it was partly to take the heat off Tommy. But, there's no getting around the fact he has been shaky and flirting with disaster almost every outing. About the best thing you can say is tonight he got the leadoff batter out, and through all of this he doesn't look like he's lost his confidence. Buck is right that we need not create so many save situations, but it doesn't excuse Hunter's struggles.

[LookitsPuck]

I didn't watch tonight's game. All I can say was his k/9 was 13.50, gb% was 50%, BABIP was .750, and FIP and xFIP were both 0.08 (!!!!). His FIP is now 3.08 and xFIP is 3.34. His BABIP is .422. I know it is hard to see, very hard right now, but Hunter could be very successful, and according to all of his peripheals, should be right now.

He's getting clobbered. BABIP has no bearing when he's getting crushed. Last 5 appearances:

May 2nd: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 SO, 26 pitches thrown

May 6th: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 SO, 22 pitches thrown

May 7th: 1 IP, 3 H, 1 SO, 21 pitches thrown

May 9th: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 SO, 13 pitches thrown

May 10th: 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 SO, 23 pitches thrown

Altogether? That's 4 2/3 IP, 9 H, 3 BB, 6 SO, 105 pitches. Those numbers translate to:

17.4 H/9

5.8 BB/9

2.575 WHIP

11.6 SO/9

21 pitches per game

Outside of the strikeouts, those are all very alarming. A lot of baserunners. A lot of pitches thrown. And if it wasn't for some poor baserunning and some luck, his numbers would actually be a lot worse.

[Jonesy10]

I didn't watch tonight's game. All I can say was his k/9 was 13.50, gb% was 50%, BABIP was .750, and FIP and xFIP were both 0.08 (!!!!). His FIP is now 3.08 and xFIP is 3.34. His BABIP is .422. I know it is hard to see, very hard right now, but Hunter could be very successful, and according to all of his peripheals, should be right now.

Can't edit. Just wanted to add that his LD% is 29% which is very high. But a .422 BABIP is absurd. Bottom line, I think he can be a good closer, but I wouldn't be upset if we tried Britton or O'Day.

[Rene88]

Buck basically said Hunter needs to improve. That's promising. At least he isn't wearing the JJ blinders, maybe he learned from last year.

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[Jonesy10]

He's getting clobbered. BABIP has no bearing when he's getting crushed. Last 5 appearances:

May 2nd: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 SO, 26 pitches thrown

May 6th: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 SO, 22 pitches thrown

May 7th: 1 IP, 3 H, 1 SO, 21 pitches thrown

May 9th: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 SO, 13 pitches thrown

May 10th: 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 SO, 23 pitches thrown

Altogether? That's 4 2/3 IP, 9 H, 3 BB, 6 SO, 105 pitches. Those numbers translate to:

17.4 H/9

5.8 BB/9

2.575 WHIP

11.6 SO/9

21 pitches per game

Outside of the strikeouts, those are all very alarming. A lot of baserunners. A lot of pitches thrown. And if it wasn't for some poor baserunning and some luck, his numbers would actually be a lot worse.

So he's gotten 14 outs in that time span, 6 by strike out, and you are calling him lucky? That's a BABIP of well over .500. And he's lucky? How many guys strike out 12 per 9 innings and give up that many hits? They don't.

He hasn't been great but he hasn't been this bad. He has been extremely unlucky.

[cacavolante]

So he's gotten 14 outs in that time span, 6 by strike out, and you are calling him lucky? That's a BABIP of well over .500. And he's lucky? How many guys strike out 12 per 9 innings and give up that many hits? They don't.

He hasn't been great but he hasn't been this bad. He has been extremely unlucky.

His swinging strike rate has been terrible. His k rate is insane for a guy who doesn't miss bats. If he's been unlucky in some areas, he's been just as lucky in others.

[Guest]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Hunter: "They are hitting fastballs, they are hitting curveballs, they are hitting everything I throw right now. So, it?s not just 1 pitch..</p>— Brittany Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) <a href="

">May 11, 2014</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Brooks The Great]

Buck basically said Hunter needs to improve. That's promising. At least he isn't wearing the JJ blinders, maybe he learned from last year.

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He might have said something similar about JJ last year. Maybe not, because JJ was a veteran with hundreds of saves for the O's, but the more important thing is that Buck himself needs to improve his management the team's closer and overall bullpen.

I hate how he uses that phrase "I believe in the win rule." He's completely going against the implications of that statement by acting solely in response to the save rule. He's suggesting that all that matters is getting a win, and that a win is more important than getting a save, but his actions fly in the face of that; all he's doing in using one pitcher to get almost every single save.

Buck very rarely uses his closers/late relievers in ways that will maximize his chances of getting a win when his closer is struggling. Unless his closer has pitched 3 days in a row, he uses the same guy every time a save situation comes up, regardless of how his closer has been pitching, regardless of how overused that closer might be, and regardless of game conditions. Tonight, Britton should have kept pitching until he allowed a baserunner in the ninth, at the very least.

Buck is too loyal to his players and he's a slave to the save rule. He pigeonholes whoever his closer is and fails to adapt to how his relievers have been performing.