STL @ CIN

• Johnny Cueto is a very talented pitcher, but he is not better then Edinson Volquez. Cueto works with a fastball in the low to mid 90's, a solid average slider in the mid 80's and a decent change in the mid 80's. He has much better command then Volquez (probably above average), but Volquez's stuff is much better. Cueto is a very good # 3 starter and if he can tighten his slider a little more, he is a # 2. I think his ceiling is that of a # 2 for a contender.
• Joel Pineiro is a very useful starter to have at the back-end if your a contender. He attacks hitters with a high 80's fastball, mid 80's slider that moves like a cutter, mid to high 70's curve and mid 80's change. None of his pitches are great and he has occasional command problems, but he finds the "pitchability" to get hitters to put the ball in play weakly. He is pitching at his ceiling now and if he can maintain strong command, he should be a solid # 5 starter.
• Chris Perez lacked the explosive stuff I thought he had. He threw a low 90's fastball and mid 80's slider with some command issues. He still has the upside of a closer, but he seems to be a set-up man with his current offerings. He needs to refine his command tighten his slider a little bit more to reach his ceiling.
• Brad Thompson is an extra arm for a bullpen that can give you multiple innings. As long as he is earning the minimum, he is a good guy to have in a pen. If he is earning more, you are vastly overpaying. He attacks with a high 80's fastball and low 80's slider.
• Arthur Rhodes just keeps getting the job done. It appears he has lost very little from his fastball and he commands it so well that he doesn't need his mid 80's slider to be amazing. His fastball sat in the low 90's tonight.
• When Dave Weathers is missing in the zone, he is in trouble, as he throws a high 80's fastball and mid 80's slider. He typically has plus command, but you always have to wonder about a reliever his age and his ability to maintain his stuff for the season.
• Jared Burton got out his one guy. Burton attacks with a high 80's to low 90's cutter (Mariano style), a low 80's slider and a low 90's fastball.
• Francisco Cordero was great, with a mid 90's fastball and disappearing mid to high 80's slider. Is a legit closer for a contender and is pitching extremely well right now.
• Not sure why Tony La Russa stole Joe Thurston in the 9th. That was just bad baseball. Even if he makes it, you don't gain much. The only explanation would be stay out of the double play.

2 Charts tomorrow, with a baseball practice.

Chart Observations: PIT @ STL

• Got to watch Todd Wellemeyer and he continued to show his plus command of all his pitches. He was primarily FB, SL, CU and mixed in a few curveballs. Hasn't faced the best lineups, but is a middle of the rotation starter for a contender (decent 3, strong 4).
• Ross Ohlendorf opposed him. Ohlendorf attacked hitters with a low to mid 90's sinker, low 80's slider and low 80's changeup. Nothing about him is above average (including his command) and is a protypical RH. His ceiling is that of a back-end starter for a contender, as if his command improves, he should have the stuff (and the ability to pitch to contact) to be a solid # 4 or # 5.
• Blaine Boyer retired the only batter he faced, Craig Monroe, with a diet of plus curveballs and average fastballs. Still think he is a solid middle guy.
• Trever Miller is a good LOOGY to have in the pen. He features a high 80's fastball and a frisbee slider in the mid 70's. No reason to think he can't keep having success.
• Evan Meek could throw 3 pitches or he could throw 5. No one is really sure. He throws a fastball in the mid 90's (93-95) that has a lot of cutting action, a cut fastball in the high 80's to low 90's, a slider in the mid 80's, a curveball in the mid 70's to low 80's and a changeup (which I didn't see). No one is sure if the breaking pitch is the same pitch (I thought it was) or if he throws only cutters or if the action on the ball is just natural. That being said, he has the future to be a back-end reliever. He needs to tighten a breaking ball, as his fastball is his only real plus pitch. Think the ceiling is a closer if he develops the breaking pitch further, but is more likely to settle in as a quality middle reliever.
• Shane Robinson made his major league debut as a pinch-hitter. He is a small guy (5-9, 160) with a small frame. I thought he was African-American, but he is white. He is known as a speedster with little power and I gathered that much from his stance. He has one of those stances with the bat resting on his shoulder until he triggers, where everything works to get himself ready. He takes the bat off his shoulder and cocks it and also strides. He will never have much power hitting that way. With a whole sample size of 1 AB, I think his ceiling is as a 4th OF who can CF (those are fairly valuable) but one that will struggle to hit above .250 and provide zero power. Maybe Robinson can learn from Skip Schumaker and make himself into a super-utility guy by learning 2B.

Got the Reds-Cardinals game tonight featuring Johnny Cueto and Joel Pineiro.

Sorry about no comment on the Reds-Brewers game, but here are some from what I remember (went out last night and didn't get back to the apartment until 230)

• Braden Looper showed an inability to command his stuff last night and when he struggles like that, he will get hit (even by a Reds lineup that had 2 of their 3 best hitters sitting due to the flu). He features a high 80's to low 90's sinker/fastball, a low 80's slider and a low 80's splitter.
• Micah Owings upside is that of a # 5 starter. Just not much left there to work with. I think he needs to start focusing on his hitting and become an OF.
• Mark DiFelice continues to baffle hitters and people who like radar gun readings, as he continues to get people out. He primarily throws a low 80's cutter and a low 80's changeup. Who knows if he can keep this up? He has excellent command (and good thing b/c he is going to need it once the scouting reports are out).
• Nick Masset flashed some of his old command problems, but looks like a very capable pitcher to bridge the gap to the Reds set-up core.
• Thought Dusty made a bad decision by leaving in Arthur Rhodes to face the right handers. Turns out I am a moron.

Chart Observations: WAS @ LAD

Both bullpens really struggled in this exciting game.

• Randy Wolf started for the Dodgers and featured a high 80's fastball, a high 60's curveball, a high 70's slider and a low 80's changeup. He showed above average command of his pitches and did a good job keeping the Nats hitters off balance all night. I have never been a big fan of his, but he continues to be a solid # 3 starter, and I believe this is his ceiling that he is currently pitching at.
• Despite a bad first inning, Jordan Zimmermann threw really well and continues to have the look of a pitcher who can grow into a strong # 2 for a contender at least.
• Ramon Troncoso attacked hitters with his low to mid 90's 2-seamer and plus mid 70's curveball. He elevated his 2-seam a little too much and that resulted in him getting hit.
• The Dodgers really miss Joe Beimel (who featured a mid to high 80's fastball, low 70's curve and low to mid 80's change, he really isn't a guy to get RH's out, but is a very good LOOGY with his FB-CB combo combined with the deception he generates from his delivery). Will Ohman once again failed to retire the one LH he faced with high 80's fastball and low 80's slider while Brent Leach failed to retire either Adam Dunn or Nick Johnson. Leach featured a low 90's fastball and an above average high 70's slider. Leach is likely pitching against Ohman for that LOOGY job and the Dodgers will have to make a decision to go with a raw youth with better stuff or with a veteran in hopes that he will return to his career norms.
• Cory Wade pitched better then his line indicated, as he attacked hitters with a low to mid 90's fastball, a plus high 70's curveball (which I would like to see him bury a little more) and an above average low 80's changeup. He is a quality 3-pitch reliever and looks to be a solid set-up guy, as his command was above average as well. I don't know if he will be able to generate the strikeout numbers necessary to be a closer.
• Guillermo Mota attacked hitters with a 94 mile per hour fastball, an average mid 80's slider and an above average mid 80's change. Mota is an extra arm for a bullpen at this stage of his career.
• James McDonald came out of the pen and was blooped to death. He went after guys with a low 90's fastball, mid 70's 12-6 curveball and a high 80's change. The 12-6 is plus and flashed plus-plus and his changeup is an above average offering. McDonald did still show some flashes of above average command, but continued to miss with his fastball in the middle of the plate a little too often. Not sure where he profiles best, but I think I would prefer him as a back-end starter, as his potential (# 3 starter) is greater then that of a reliever.
• Ron Villone is back in the big leagues and shows the same stuff, a high 80's fastball, mid 80's change and low 80's slider. All his pitches are average, with the change being a bit above average. Useful reliever to have when you don't want to waste other guys, but is it better to have him eating the innings or a younger guy who may have a future?
• Kip Wells attacked guys with a mid 90's fastball, low 80's curveball, mid to high 80's slider and a high 80's changeup. Wells needs to be a 3 pitch pitcher as a reliever, as the slider was an average offering, while his fastball and curveball are each above average. He gets some good 2-seam action on his fastball and his curveball flashed plus. Still think he is a solid option as a late inning guy, but he once again showed a tendency to nibble.