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Is Anyone Worried About Britton

Aristotelian

By Aristotelian
in Orioles Talk

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NCRaven Hangout Grand Counsel

NCRaven

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2 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

If memory serves, he has allowed baserunners every inning he has pitched so far, needing double plays to escape all three. 

Okay, "every inning he has pitched so far" equals 3 whole innings.  I just can't be worried over 3 whole innings.  And, he may have needed double plays, but he is a ground ball pitcher that gets a lot of double plays.  So, again, not worried.  His stuff remains nasty!

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SteveA Hangout Grand Counsel

SteveA

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FIrst game, he struck out the first batter and then threw FIVE straight ground balls.   One of them should have been fielded by Schoop, one of them was seeing eye.   But basically, when Zach is striking guys out and throwing ground balls, I'm perfectly happy.   That's what he does.   If a couple of the grounders get through, even if it costs us a game... well, so be it.   If Zach is striking some guys out and getting grounders from the ones that put it in play...he's doing his job.   No matter what happens with the grounders.

OK, then after the strikeout and 5 straight grounders, in his second inning Monday, he walked a guy and gave up a line drive hit before getting the grounder to end the inning.   That was a bit concerning but it was his 7th and 8th batter and it's the first game of the year.   So, once again, I wasn't concerned Monday.  

Last night, his command clearly wasn't as good.  A walk and a hard hit single in his first inning of work.  That's a little more concerning.   But he also threw two ground balls and got a strikeout.

I give him a complete mulligan on Monday.   A guy who normally faces 3-5 batters per outing, and has had an abbreviated spring training, looking like himself for 6 batters and then struggling with #7 and #8 on Opening Day... doesn't faze me a bit.   Last night was not so good.   I bet if you put it in with his 69 appearances last year, it would probably be in the bottom 10.  So...as much as you can worry about a guy who has a 0.00 ERA and has converted 50 straight saves, I guess I am a bit worried.   But it was one game.

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Frobby Hangout Grand Counsel

Frobby

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4 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

This is me. Was I worried last night? You betcha. If Britton is still struggling with his command in two weeks then maybe a little, but for now, no.

He will blow a save eventually.    Will everyone freak out when he does?    Probably.    We've forgotten how crappy it feels to blow a lead in the 9th.    There's nothing worse as a fan.    

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SteveA Hangout Grand Counsel

SteveA

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16 minutes ago, Frobby said:

He will blow a save eventually.    Will everyone freak out when he does?    Probably.    We've forgotten how crappy it feels to blow a lead in the 9th.    There's nothing worse as a fan.    

Texas "closer" Sam Dyson has already given up more runs, and twice as many earned runs, as Zach Britton did in the entire 2016 season.

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spiritof66 Hangout Grand Counsel

spiritof66

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Right now, I'm concerned about two things concerning Britton:

  • That the bottom of the strike zone really will get raised and Zach will have some trouble adjusting.
  • That he just can't be as good as he was last year, and how the team and the Hangouters will adjust to the occasional disappointment of a blown save. Well, really the Hangouters more than the team.
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Frobby Hangout Grand Counsel

Frobby

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3 minutes ago, spiritof66 said:

Right now, I'm concerned about two things concerning Britton:

  • That the bottom of the strike zone really will get raised and Zach will have some trouble adjusting.
  • That he just can't be as good as he was last year, and how the team and the Hangouters will adjust to the occasional disappointment of a blown save. Well, really the Hangouters more than the team.

My baseline is that any save rate above 90% is excellent.   But on the days he blows them, I'll be suicidal.    

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Frobby Hangout Grand Counsel

Frobby

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1 hour ago, Aristotelian said:

Me too. And I get a borderline anxiety attack when he loads the bases with 1 out.

Hey, try being at the game.   I sure as hell didn't want him blowing his first save in 50 tries at a game I was attending!

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DrungoHazewood Hangout Grand Counsel

DrungoHazewood

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9 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

If memory serves, he has allowed baserunners every inning he has pitched so far, needing double plays to escape all three. Seemed to get squeezed a bit last night, even though the other pitchers were getting the low strike, and a few of the balls he has given up have been hard grounders that found a hole. Still, he also seems to be getting the ball up more than in previous years and has an ugly 2.33 WHIP. The reports of a shoulder problem have nothing to do with this, right? Nothing to worry about? 

If the past 17 odd years of the Hangout has taught me anything it's that you should definitely worry about everything.  Especially in April after 18 innings of meaningful baseball.

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tntoriole Hangout Grand Counsel

tntoriole

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We have been really spoiled by Zach Britton's amazing performance.  To "worry" when he has two saves and still given up zero runs seems a little much.  I worry much more about Tillman coming back or Trey in right field or JJ's bat or whether Ubaldo and Miley can actually be contributors than I do anything about Zach.  Maybe this is sort of what being a MFY fan was like when Mariano was Mariano.  Namely, you expect every save, every night, always, end of story.    

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foxfield Hangout Grand Counsel

foxfield

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36 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

If the past 17 odd years of the Hangout has taught me anything it's that you should definitely worry about everything.  Especially in April after 18 innings of meaningful baseball.

I would have to agree here even though I don't have 18 yrs here.  I do specifically wonder how the beer can continue to be cold when it's only going to get warmer as the season moves forward.  I worry about that... ;) 

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