{"id":2478,"date":"2011-09-22T09:27:13","date_gmt":"2011-09-22T13:27:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/?p=2478"},"modified":"2011-09-25T01:04:50","modified_gmt":"2011-09-25T05:04:50","slug":"nats-rotation-cycle-31-goodbadsoso","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalsarmrace.com\/?p=2478","title":{"rendered":"Nats Rotation Cycle #31: good\/bad\/soso"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_2514\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/detwilerRoss_HarazGhanbari_AP_viafederalbaseball.com_.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2514\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2514\" title=\"detwilerRoss_HarazGhanbari_AP_viafederalbaseball.com\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/detwilerRoss_HarazGhanbari_AP_viafederalbaseball.com_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2514\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Detwiler is really making a statement for his inclusion in the 2012 rotation.  Photo Haraz Ghanbari\/AP via federalbaseball.com<\/p><\/div>\n<p>We&#8217;re getting down to the wire; There&#8217;s only three more of these posts coming, because the rotation only makes 3 more passes before the season is over.\u00a0 Because of the off-day on 9\/19 and the double-header 9\/20, Milone pitched BEFORE Detwiler&#8217;s start in this &#8220;cycle&#8221; so the end of cycle #31 bleeds over into the beginning of cycle #32.<\/p>\n<p>Good<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Tommy Milone<\/strong> looked great on 9\/15 (<a href=\"http:\/\/mlb.mlb.com\/mlb\/gameday\/index.jsp?gid=2011_09_15_wasmlb_nynmlb_1&amp;mode=recap&amp;c_id=was&amp;partnerId=rss_was\">box\/gamer<\/a>), shutting down a weak NY Mets offense and getting his first MLB victory.\u00a0 The Mets started 5 guys who were on their AAA roster a month ago, so its somewhat difficult to get a read on Milone&#8217;s capabilities on the day.\u00a0 But he did go 5 2\/3, gave up 1 run on 3 hits with 3 walks (one intentional).\u00a0 The walks are surprising; Milone&#8217;s calling card and the way he&#8217;ll survive is by NOT allowing walks.<\/li>\n<li>Day 3 of the return of <strong>Stephen Strasburg<\/strong> on 9\/17 (<a href=\"http:\/\/washington.nationals.mlb.com\/mlb\/gameday\/index.jsp?gid=2011_09_17_flomlb_wasmlb_1&amp;mode=wrap&amp;c_id=was\">box\/gamer<\/a>) went much better for the kid; his velocity was back, he was efficient (6ip on 61 pitches), he was accurate (0 walks and 45 of 61 pitches for strikes) and he was dominant (1 run on 4 hits and 3 Ks).\u00a0 Can&#8217;t ask for much more than that.\u00a0 Too bad he got a no-decision as his offense couldn&#8217;t get him more than one run against the Marlin&#8217;s #5 starter Volstad.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ross Detwiler<\/strong> put in perhaps his <a href=\"http:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/gl.cgi?id=detwiro01&amp;t=p&amp;year=2011\">best start<\/a> in a Nats uniform in the back side of 9\/20&#8217;s double header (<a href=\"http:\/\/washington.nationals.mlb.com\/mlb\/gameday\/index.jsp?gid=2011_09_20_wasmlb_phimlb_2&amp;mode=recap&amp;c_id=was\">box\/gamer<\/a>), holding an (admittedly weaker) Phillies lineup to just 3 hits over 7 1\/3.\u00a0 Ross was sitting on just 81 pitches when departing in the 8th, efficiently working through the lineup.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Mediocre\/Inconclusive<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>John Lannan<\/strong> bounced back from a poor start last week with an improved on on 9\/16 (<a href=\"http:\/\/mlb.mlb.com\/mlb\/gameday\/index.jsp?gid=2011_09_16_flomlb_wasmlb_1&amp;mode=recap&amp;c_id=was&amp;partnerId=rss_was\">box\/gamer<\/a>).\u00a0 6ip, 3runs on 8 hits and a walk.\u00a0 I think we know what we have in Lannan by now, and I&#8217;m sure he feels lonely as the sole remaining rotation guy from opening day.<\/li>\n<li>A 7th inning homer turned <strong>Chien-Ming Wang<\/strong>&#8216;s 9\/18 start (<a href=\"http:\/\/mlb.mlb.com\/mlb\/gameday\/index.jsp?gid=2011_09_18_flomlb_wasmlb_1&amp;mode=recap&amp;c_id=was&amp;partnerId=rss_was\">box\/gamer<\/a>) from a good one to just merely a run of the mill quality start, but there&#8217;s definite promise in Wang&#8217;s performances as of late.\u00a0 He went 6 2\/3, gave up 3 runs on 6 hits with zero walks and 5 Ks.\u00a0 Two homers hurt the sinkerballer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Starter Trends<\/p>\n<p>Milone\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0bad,soso,good<br \/>\nLannan\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0good,good,bad,soso,good,bad,bad,good,soso,good,bad,soso<br \/>\nStrasburg\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0great,soso,good<br \/>\nDetwiler\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0soso,soso,good,good,bad,bad,soso,great<br \/>\nWang\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0bad,bad,great,soso,soso,good,bad,soso,soso,soso<br \/>\nPeacock\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0good<\/p>\n<p>Relievers of Note and other News<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>(not much in the way of links and notes here; I was gone all weekend and just did very rudimentary reviews.\u00a0 A future post is in the works for my weekend trip, which will be of significant interest to baseball fans).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Drew Storen<\/strong> gets <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/blogs\/nationals-journal\/post\/drew-storen-reaches-40-saves-with-two-in-one-day\/2011\/09\/21\/gIQAK23xjK_blog.html?wprss=nationals-journal\">two saves in one day<\/a> on 9\/20: that&#8217;s pretty rare in this modern age of innings limits and coddling relievers.<\/li>\n<li>Quick report that the <a href=\"http:\/\/therocket.mlblogs.com\/2011\/09\/21\/nats-are-scouting-texas-wilson\/\">team is scouting<\/a> FA-to-be <strong>CJ Wilson<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlbtraderumors.com\/2010\/03\/2012-mlb-free-agents.html\">2011 off season FA market<\/a> is so thin on quality starting pitching that Wilson, who has had <a href=\"http:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/w\/wilsocj01.shtml\">two pretty good seasons<\/a> after pitching in relief the early part of his career, may be the leading starter out there on the market (i&#8217;m not counting <strong>CC Sabathia<\/strong>, who almost certainly opts out and re-signs for more money).\u00a0 One complication: Wilson will be a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlbtraderumors.com\/2011\/09\/elias-rankings-update-1.html\">Type-A free agent<\/a>, costing the Nats a pick.\u00a0 And guess what?\u00a0 This little end-of-the-season run now has the team perilously close to having a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mlbtraderumors.com\/reversestandings\/\">non-protected first round draft pick<\/a>.\u00a0 Is CJ Wilson worth giving up the 16th overall pick in the draft?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We&#8217;re getting down to the wire; There&#8217;s only three more of these posts coming, because the rotation only makes 3 more passes before the season is over.\u00a0 Because of the off-day on 9\/19 and the double-header 9\/20, Milone pitched BEFORE Detwiler&#8217;s start in this &#8220;cycle&#8221; so the end of cycle #31 bleeds over into the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,13],"tags":[47,37,53,52,39,51,38,34],"class_list":["post-2478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mlbpitching","category-minorleaguerotationreviews","tag-cc-sabathia","tag-chien-ming-wang","tag-cj-wilson","tag-drew-storen","tag-john-lannan","tag-ross-detwiler","tag-stephen-strasburg","tag-tommy-milone"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2478"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2478\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2518,"href":"https:\/\/nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2478\/revisions\/2518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalsarmrace.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}