Chart Observations: 7/12: STL @ CHC

1) Kyle Lohse: 96 pitches. 8 strikes swinging. 4 on Fastballs (2 in 2nd, 3rd, 5th), 3 on Sliders (1st, 2 in 5th), Changeup (1st)

• Lohse is a 6-2, 210 righty. The 30 year old has a medium frame that can add very little more muscle. He came from a high 3/4 release. His fastball is a sinker with some run in on righties and good sink and good late movement. His change has good fade from lefties with good sink. His slider is a 2-7 with okay bite. He will throw his change to righties. His curve is a big breaking 12-6 with above average depth.

1st: FB (88-91), SL (82-84), CU (82-84), CB (76)

2nd: FB (87-89), SL (82-84)

3rd: FB (86-89), SL (82-83), CU (82-83)

4th: FB (86-89), SL (83), CU (82), CB (74)

5th: FB (85-89), SL (83-85), CU (81-83)

2) Carlos Zambrano: 94 pitches. 11 strikes swinging. 4 on Fastballs (2nd, 5th, 2 in 6th), 2 on Cutters (1st, 3rd), 4 on Splitters (3 in 3rd, 4th), 1 on a Slider (5th)

• Zambrano came from a 3/4 release with a fastball that has a little sink and some run in on righties, a cutter with solid cut, a split with average dive that serves as his out pitch and he can bounce whenever he wants and a sharp 2-7 slider with good bite.

1st: FB (83-93), Split (85-87), Cut (85-91)

2nd: FB (86-91), Cut (86-89)

3rd: FB (88-93), Split (84-87), Cut (87-92)

4th: FB (84-87), Split (84-85), Cut (88-92)

5th: FB (92-95), Split (83), Cut (90-91), SL (83-85)

6th: FB (88-92), Cut (90-91)

3) Jason Motte: 6 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• He came from an over the top release with a straight 4-seam fastball.

6th: FB (93-96)

4) Todd Wellemeyer: 12 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Wellemeyer is a 6-3, 225 pound righty. The 29 year old has a medium frame that is maxed out. He came from a high 3/4 release. His fastball is a 2-seamer with run in on righties and sink and his slider is a 2-7 with good bite.

7th: FB (85-90), SL (78)

5) P.J. Walters: 29 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. Changeup (7th), Fastball (8th), Slider (8th)

• Walters is a 6-4, 200 pound righty. The 24 year old has a big frame that can get up to at least 215. He came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties with a little sink, a change with good fade from lefties with sink and a 2-7 slider with solid bite. He throws a ton of changeups and will throw 3-2 changeups. A tweener who is going to need to pick up velocity or tighten his slider to be succesful.

7th: FB (86-91), CU (75-78)

8th: FB (86-90), CU (76-78), SL (76-77)

6) Sean Marshall: 14 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Cutter.

• He came from a high 3/4 release with a 11-4 curve with above average depth, a slider that is 11-4 with good bite that is a sweeping slider with a cutter that has good cut.

7th: Cut (87-91), SL (84-86), CB (73-76)

7) Carlos Marmol: 17 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• He comes from a 3/4 release with a sharp sweeping 2-8 slider with good bite and a fastball with some run in on righties.

8th: FB (93-95), SL (79-83)

8) Kevin Gregg: 11 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Slider.

• Gregg is a 6-6, 240 pound righty. The 31 year old has a big frame that can add a lot more muscle. He comes from a high 3/4 release with a fastball that has a little run in on righties and a 2-7 slider that is a big breaker with above average bite.

9th: FB (90-93), SL (79-80)

Chart Observations: 7/12: LAD @ MIL

1) Clayton Kershaw: 103 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (2 in 1st), Slider (3rd), Curveball (5th), Changeup (5th)

• Kershaw is a 6-3, 225 pound lefty. The 21 year old has a big frame that can add a little more muscle, but not much. He came from an over the top release with a classic drop and drive delivery. His fastball has some run in on lefties with a little sink. His change has good fade from righties with a little sink. His curveball is a sharp, big breaking 12-6 with excellent depth. His slider is a 10-5 pitch with good bite that is a little loopy and serves as his out pitch to lefties. He is a definite potential ace and is a good bet to reach his potential.

1st: FB (92-95), CB (71-74), CU (81-83)

2nd: FB (92-95), CB (73), CU (81)

3rd: FB (94-95), CB (71-74), SL (78-81)

4th: FB (93-94), CU (81-83)

5th: FB (92-95), CB (72-74), CU (84), SL (83)

6th: FB (93-94), CB (71)

7th: FB (90)

2) Yovani Gallardo: 93 pitches. 6 strikes swinging. 3 on Fastballs (2 in 1st, 2nd), 3 on Curveballs (2 in 1st, 4th)

• Gallardo is a 6-2, 220 pound righty. The 23 year old has a medium frame that is maxed out. He comes from an over the top release. His fastball has some run in on righties with good sink. His curveball is a sharp 12-6 with solid depth that can be a strikeout pitch. His slider is a 2-7 with good bite. His change has good fade from lefties with solid sink. He will also mix in a straight 4-seam. He is a definite potential ace and is a good bet to reach his ceiling.

1st: FB (90-94), CB (78-81), SL (85)

2nd: FB (89-93), CB (79), CU (84-85)

3rd: FB (91-93), CB (78-80), SL (85-86)

4th: FB (91-93), CB (80), SL (84-85), CU (84)

5th: FB (88-93), CB (81), SL (85-86)

3) Chris Smith: 8 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Smith came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a change with above average fade and sink from lefties and a 2-7 slider with solid bite.

6th: FB (87-89), SL (76), CU (73)

4) Mark DiFelice: 27 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. 4 Cutters, Curveball

• DiFelice came from a high 3/4 release with a change with some fade from lefties and a little sink, a fastball with some run in on righties and sink, a cutter has good cut and a little sink and a 12-6 curve with good depth.

7th: Cut (81-83), FB (87), CU (76), CB (74)

5) Hiroki Kuroda: 23 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (2 in 7th)

• Kuroda came from an over the top release and his pitches are actually distinguishable as a reliever. His slider is a 2-7 with some bite. His fastball has good run in on righties with some sink and his split has some dive.

7th: FB (90-94), SL (83-85), Split (87)

8th: FB (92-94), SL (82-83), Split (88)

6) Mitch Stetter: 17 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Stetter is a sidarmer who showed a fastball with some late run in on lefties with some sink, a sweeping 9-3 slider with good bite and a straight change with a little sink.

8th: FB (84-85), SL (77-79), CU (80)

7) James McDonald: 12 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• McDonald is a 6-5, 195 pound righty. The 24 year old has a big frame that can get up to at least 215. He comes from an over the top release. His fastball is a pretty straight 4-seam. His curveball is a sharp 12-6 with above average depth that can be a strikeout pitch. His change has above average fade from lefties with good sink.

8th: FB (91-95), CB (77), CU (75)

8) Seth McClung: 16 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• McClung came from an over the top release with a fastball with some run in on righties and a little sink, a 12-6 curve with above average depth and a sharp 2-7 slider with some bite.

9th: FB (90-97), CB (78-80), SL (85)

9) Ramon Troncoso: 21 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Curveball

• Troncoso came from an over the top release with a fastball with good run in on righties with good sink and a 12-7 curve with above average depth.

9th: FB (91-94), CB (78-81)

Chart Observations: PIT @ PHI

1) Virgil Vasquez: 48 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball (1st), Cutter (1st)

• Vasquez is a 6-3, 205 pound righty. The 27 year old has a medium frame that can get up to 215. He comes from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties with sink, a cutter with some cut and a little sink, a big breaking 12-6 curve with above average depth and a change with above average fade from lefties with sink. He had zero command in this game and he is a guy that can't be consistently pitching behind in counts. Still looks like a back of the rotation guy to me.

1st: FB (88-91), Cut (84-88), CB (71-75)

2nd: FB (86-90), CB (73), CU (79)

2) J.A. Happ: 103 pitches. 8 strikes swinging. Fastball (2nd), 5 on Cutters (1st, 2 in 2nd, 3rd, 5th), Changeup (6th)

• Happ came from an over the top release and showed a cutter that moves like a 11-5 slider with good bite that keeps moving down, a big breaking 11-5 curve with above average depth, a fastball with a little late run in on lefties and a change with some fade from righties with average sink. He will throw his change to lefties and will almost always follow a high fastball with a curveball and this seems to be his preferred method of setting up hitters. Probably a # 3 down the road.

1st: FB (89-91), Cut (82), CU (81), CB (73-75)

2nd: FB (87-92), Cut (79-83), CU (79), CB (71-72)

3rd: FB (88-90), Cut (79-81), CB (72)

4th: FB (86-90), Cut (81)

5th: FB (87-90), Cut (82-84), CU (80)

6th: FB (88-91), Cut (80-84), CU (79-84), CB (72-74)

7th: FB (89-92), Cut (80), CU (81), CB (71-73)

3) Jeff Karstens: 35 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. Fastball (3rd), Curveball (2nd), Slider (3rd)

• Karstens came from a high 3/4 release with a whipping arm action. His fastball has some run in on righties with a little sink, his curve is a big breaking 12-6 pitch with above average depth, his slider is a 1-7 that is sharp with good bite and his change has good fade from lefties with good sink.

2nd: FB (90), CB (71-73), CU (79-80)

3rd: FB (91), CB (71-73), CU (80), SL (77)

4th: FB (89-91), CB (71-73), SL (76)

5th: FB (87-92), CB (72-73)

4) Evan Meek: 11 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Cutter

• Meek came from an over the top release and showed a cutter with good cut, a straight 4-seam fastball, a 12-6 curve with average depth and a sharp 2-7 slider with good bite.

6th: Cut (90-94), FB (96), CB (81), SL (84)

5) Donald Veal: 16 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Veal is a 6-4, 230 pound lefty. The 24 year old has a big frame that is maxed out. He comes from a high 3/4 release. He showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and a 11-5 curve that starts its break early and should be easy for hitters to pick up due to that, but it would be a good pitch if it didn't do that. Don't think he will ever have the command to be a consistent major league pitcher.

7th: FB (90-93), CB (74-75)

6) Joel Hanrahan: 11 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider

• Hanrahan came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a little sink and a sharp 2-7 slider with above average bite. This was the 1st time I have seen him with his good slider and the Pirates may have made some progress with him.

8th: FB (93-95), SL (83-84)

7) Ryan Madson: 6 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Madson came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball and a cutter with good cut and some sink.

8th: FB (94-95), Cut (93)

8) J.C. Romero: 20 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 3 on Fastballs, Slider

• Romero came from a high 3/4 release and showed a 11-5 slider with good bite that can look like a CB on occasion, a fastball with late run in on lefties with good late sink and a change with good fade from righties with a little sink. He will drop down sidearm to throw fastballs on occasion.

9th: FB (91-93), SL (78-83), CU (82)

Will have more after my baseball game, including my 1st look at Clayton Kershaw this season, as well as a report on Cardinals rookie reliever P.J. Walters.