The Silver Lining Report: Game 4/162 (O's win 6-5)

[interloper]

The early-goings have been nothing if not interesting! 3-1, just like we all drew it up.

• Brandon Hyde: Let's get this one out of the way. He made a tough, gutsy, development-and-health-driven call as a rookie manager. Hess was on 3 days rest, he's a guy you want to develop, and Hyde had already warned us he'd be aggressive on 3rd time through the order and keeping guys healthy. Me? I love it. Not every rookie manager would make this call on the 4th game of his career and it shows that he's committed to the long game. He explained the decision to Hess on the mound and he did a good job explaining it to the media. If you're mad, I don't know what to tell you. We signed up for modernity and development above all else - this is what it looks like! We're learning more about Hyde and it seems he's not JUST a player's manager. He will make a tough - even unpopular - call. He's confident in what he wants to do out there and I give him props on this one. 
   
• David Hess: What can we say? Stellar. We thought he was "max effort" and hitting 95 in his relief appearance in game 1, but it turns out he had even more in the tank because he was hitting 96 in this one. A masterful performance. As a bonus, he took his hook in stride, lauding Hyde for watching out for his health and noting the good "team win" on his Twitter page. You gotta love this kid.
   
• Jonathan Villar: Opposite field 2-run bomb to kick things off in the 1st. Added another hit and he's officially heating up. Bordick thinks he'll have an "All Star season". We're just gonna let that slide because this is the  thread.
   
• Trey Mancini: 5 - count 'em - FIVE infield hits to start the year. He's making up for all the hard-hit outs last season I suppose. Oh yeah, plus he hit his second dinger, a sac fly, and scored on a wild pitch. And can we talk about that downright smoooooth sliding catch in RF? A faster outfielder doesn't need to slide, probably, but he's no Trumbo out there. A fine start to the season from our veteran leader.
• Chris Davis: RBI WALK
   
• Richie Martin: Another superb play at SS. Fielded a ball that glanced off Bleier for the first out of the 9th - a huge out. Had to change direction with the ball and go to the dirt to field it, then pop up and make a strong, long throw to 1B. Really nice. 
   
• Jesús Sucre: Expertly called game. This catching duo is starting to look like one of the smarter calls Elias could have made. It's a pleasure watching Sucre out there. I recall one called strike 3 on what looked to me like a great frame job. 
   
• Richard Bleier: Seems to still be rounding into form a bit, but he got the job done thanks to the fine play by Martin and a K for the last out. If you're keeping track, that's 1 save for Bleier, Wright, and Fry. 
   
• Pedro Araujo: Silver lining: 12 days left. 
   
• Mini s: Dwight Smith hit steak continues, Ruiz got a hit, and a 6-4-3 double play was turned.
   
• Errors: 0 (so far the only error has been on the wayward Givens throw). 

 

 

[Natty]

Mancini and Smith Jr have hit in every game. 

[interloper]

2 minutes ago, Natty said:

Mancini and Smith Jr have hit in every game. 

Mancini I think is relishing his role. I get a kick out of watching him. He's so goofy, but then also he hits dingers.

Smith looks completely competent at this level. It remains to be seen if he'll hit for power up here, but it's clear he's comfortable at the plate. He'll take pitches the other way and just looks solid all around. 

[hoosiers]

I don't mean to be a downer because I believe the losses will pile up soon and they will pile up quickly, but this nice start has some feel good to it.  Early signs from Mancini, Martin, the catching and Hess have been encouraging.  

Have to give DD credit for that Villar trade.  R-I-p-o-f-f - Villar flat out looks better than Schoop since the trade plus we got prospects.  

Very little love for David Hess through the minors from national prospect publications, but his stuff keeps getting better.  Not sure where he is in the long term view of things, but it would be a huge win plus big SP stability if he were a cheap, reliable 4 with 3 upside from here.  So the Os can't develop SPs, you say?  We shall see.

[interloper]

2 minutes ago, hoosiers said:

I don't mean to be a downer because I believe the losses will pile up soon and they will pile up quickly, but this nice start has some feel good to it.  Early signs from Mancini, Martin, the catching and Hess have been encouraging.  

Have to give DD credit for that Villar trade.  R-I-p-o-f-f - Villar flat out looks better than Schoop since the trade plus we got prospects.  

Very little love for David Hess through the minors from national prospect publications, but his stuff keeps getting better.  Not sure where he is in the long term view of things, but it would be a huge win plus big SP stability if he were a cheap, reliable 4 with 3 upside from here.  So the Os can develop SPs, you say?  We shall see.

Tentative agree, although so far this season Schoop has a .953 with two HR. He could bounce back pretty strong this season. But I like Villar a lot, he's just a solid all around player. And certainly won that trade. 

[interloper]

Hess breakdown courtesy of Meoli:

Quote

Last year, working as a starter for most of his 21 major league appearances, Hess broke the 95-mph threshold with his fastball six times, according to MLB Statcast Data from BaseballSavant.com. Hess did that six times on Monday alone, and noted that he took himself to another level once the only runner he allowed on base reached in the fourth inning.

Quote

Hess was credited with 51 fastballs on MLB's tracking systems, with all but three four-seam fastballs. Of those 48 four-seamers, nine were below the middle of the zone, and Hess tried to use it at the top of the strike zone often.

Quote

While Toronto's relatively balanced lineup might have contributed, Hess wasn't nearly as heavy with his fastball and slider usage as he was in 2018. He threw the pitch 24.7 percent of the time in September, according to data from BrooksBaseball.net, and was right around there Monday. But he threw his changeup 11 times (13.4 percent) on Monday, which was more than all but five of his 2018 appearances.

He credited Sucre with making that work Monday.

Quote

"It was how he pitched ahead in the count," Hyde said. "He was ahead of almost every hitter. He got early swings. I thought all of his pitches were working. He was hitting 95 [mph] a lot with a really good breaking ball and the split-change. Just not a lot of hard contact, because he was working ahead in the count with so many defensive swings. Just incredible."

https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-david-hess-no-hit-analysis-20190401-story.html

[Spy Fox]

1 hour ago, interloper said:

Tentative agree, although so far this season Schoop has a .953 with two HR. He could bounce back pretty strong this season. But I like Villar a lot, he's just a solid all around player. And certainly won that trade. 

Those are his spring training stats! Just 2/9, no HRs yet for the regular season. But at least he has a starting gig, unlike in Milwaukee. 

[HowAboutThat]

I have said since the changing of the guard that the most important improvement was in defense. The defense in the field has been much better. The defense behind the plate has also been much better. Too little is made of the fact that a catchers guide the pitchers And better catchers mean an easier day for the pitchers. In the last game in New York, the final pitch of the game was so clearly a strike that Sucre left his position before the umpire even called it.

The only Problem I can imagine right now is not using the shuttle proactively. I’m not sure who should go down or come up, but I do think we need another reliever for the next couple days.

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, Philip said:

I have said since the changing of the guard that the most important improvement was in defense. The defense in the field has been much better. The defense behind the plate has also been much better. Too little is made of the fact that a catchers guide the pitchers And better catchers mean an easier day for the pitchers. In the last game in New York, the final pitch of the game was so clearly a strike that Sucre left his position before the umpire even called it.

The only Problem I can imagine right now is not using the shuttle proactively. I’m not sure who should go down or come up, but I do think we need another reliever for the next couple days.

That's a good way to get a strike called a ball.

I wouldn't be lauding a player for that.

[HowAboutThat]

Just now, Can_of_corn said:

That's a good way to get a strike called a ball.

I wouldn't be lauding a player for that.

I didn’t know that, but the fact remains that it was called a strike, and Sucre knew it.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Philip said:

I didn’t know that, but the fact remains that it was called a strike, and Sucre knew it.

It shouldn't be that way of course, but if an Ump thinks a catcher is showing him up by getting up early it can happen.

You see it more often when hitters start going to first on what they think is ball four only to have the ump make a delayed strike call.

[interloper]

18 minutes ago, Spy Fox said:

Those are his spring training stats! Just 2/9, no HRs yet for the regular season. But at least he has a starting gig, unlike in Milwaukee. 

Wooooooooooops. Good catch there.

[HowAboutThat]

3 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

It shouldn't be that way of course, but if an Ump thinks a catcher is showing him up by getting up early it can happen.

You see it more often when hitters start going to first on what they think is ball four only to have the ump make a delayed strike call.

I agree that it can be seen as influencing the umpire in some way, but the reason I mention it was because I have never seen a catcher do that. Batters constantly assume a fourth ball, but I have Never seen a catcher so confident that he takes a pitch says, “OK, we’re done here” and walks away. Even though it might’ve been imprudent, I think it’s a good sign of confidence over all.

[foxfield]

6 minutes ago, Philip said:

I have said since the changing of the guard that the most important improvement was in defense. The defense in the field has been much better. The defense behind the plate has also been much better. Too little is made of the fact that a catchers guide the pitchers And better catchers mean an easier day for the pitchers. In the last game in New York, the final pitch of the game was so clearly a strike that Sucre left his position before the umpire even called it.

The only Problem I can imagine right now is not using the shuttle proactively. I’m not sure who should go down or come up, but I do think we need another reliever for the next couple days.

Cinderella, the only problem I see, is It's Midnight.

Of course, here at the Hotel California in the Silver Lining Suite, I am having such a good time I might stay All Night Long.  If tomorrow never comes and the sun don't ever shine.   It won't matter to me.  Come on in....the water is.......fine!!!!!

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, interloper said:

Tentative agree, although so far this season Schoop has a .953 with two HR. He could bounce back pretty strong this season. But I like Villar a lot, he's just a solid all around player. And certainly won that trade. 

I probably still prefer Schoop.   But 1.3 years of Schoop < 2.3 years of Villar + Ortiz + Carmona.    And then the Brewers jettisoned Schoop so it turns into .3 years instead of 1.3.    

I hope Schoop has a great year for the Twins.