When Tommy Hunter is off his game, it's pretty ugly to watch

[Frobby]

Tommy Hunter has been solid out of the bullpen the last two years, and I expect he will be solid this year, as well. But sometimes when you watch him, you can just tell it isn't going to go well. You look at his pitch chart from yesterday, and almost everything he threw was thigh high and up. It never felt to me like he had good command. And he has this tendency, in those situations, to just throw it right down the middle and hope it doesn't end up there.

I realize Hunter was a bit unlucky on that slow roller to Schoop, but that inning just felt to me like it wouldn't end well, and it didn't.

[srock]

Tommy walks a tightrope between a fastball as straight as a arrow and a fastball with good late action. If he is a little bit off, we get the arrow fastball.

His command has never been good enough to overcome this problem.

[Redskins Rick]

But, you can say the same for any pitcher, not on their night.

Look at Tilly on Saturday.

Very few pitchers have the ability to play around with their stuff and find something working and stay in the game, in spite of not having their A or B game stuff.

[Camden_yardbird]

My problem is that it is pretty easy to identify when he is off his game as well. There needs to be a quicker hook when that is the case. You can't let bad Tommy stay in the game game where a home run will beat you.

[Redskins Rick]

My problem is that it is pretty easy to identify when he is off his game as well. There needs to be a quicker hook when that is the case. You can't let bad Tommy stay in the game game where a home run will beat you.

It's too easy to sit back and 2nd guess the manager.

Buck is dang good and has the track record of being a winner.

[Frobby]

It's too easy to sit back and 2nd guess the manager.

Buck is dang good and has the track record of being a winner.

Yeah, I agree. Buck had used four relievers for more than one inning each in Sunday's game. I'm sure he wasn't anxious to replace Hunter in those circumstances. He had Garcia rested, but it's tough to ask someone so inexperienced to walk into a two-out, bases loaded situation. He wasn't going to use Britton in that spot (though you could make a case for it, closers just aren't used that way). He had Matusz warming, but Matusz had pitched 2 innings the day before.

If anything, I could second guess the decision to rush Lough back to the roster to replace Wright, on the day after the bullpen had been used so heavily. If Buck had another arm, maybe he'd have used him.

[duffaphonic]

Buck was outmanaged. It happens.

[bobmc]

Tommy walks a tightrope between a fastball as straight as a arrow and a fastball with good late action. If he is a little bit off, we get the arrow fastball.

His command has never been good enough to overcome this problem.

The two seamer was moving well down and away as Palmer noted. He wasn't getting the call and I guess he decided to dial up the straight one and he lost to a thorn in our side. Hopefully he learns from the experience.

[bobmc]

Buck was outmanaged. It happens.

In your opinion but not mine - I mean he is a genius!

"I'm trying to stay away from Brian," Showalter said following a 6-5 loss. "We've had a couple short starts and we only had three pitchers we were going to use in the bullpen, so it's tough. He's also got another weapon over there in (Chase) Headley, too, so he can do it if he wants to."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/04/showalter-speaks-after-6-5-loss-4.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[Frobby]

I can't believe Buck is leaving Hunter in this game. He has nothing.

[Frobby]

Well, Hunter got ARod, but he was in at least two batters too long IMO. Should have been pulled after the double.

[ChuckS]

I think Tommy needs to be a righty specialist. Lefties hammer him to hell.

[Il BuonO]

I can't believe Buck is leaving Hunter in this game. He has nothing.

Right back to your OP, many of the pitches being hit are up. Sounds like it's driving JP nuts. I wonder if he's having trouble commanding the two seam FB because that four seamer tends to be flat and stay up in the zone.

He looks worse than Norris right now.

[duffaphonic]

Tommy still thinks that he can blow fastballs by batters. He should be more mature than that by now.

[LookitsPuck]

In your opinion but not mine - I mean he is a genius!

"I'm trying to stay away from Brian," Showalter said following a 6-5 loss. "We've had a couple short starts and we only had three pitchers we were going to use in the bullpen, so it's tough. He's also got another weapon over there in (Chase) Headley, too, so he can do it if he wants to."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/04/showalter-speaks-after-6-5-loss-4.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Doesn't make any sense. You're trying to stay away from Brian....then why warm him up? Hunter has looked awful all spring and so far all year. Very similar to Bud Norris.