Chart Observations: 8/23 DET @ OAK

1) Rick Porcello: 92 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (2nd, 3rd), Changeup (3rd), Slider (5th)

• Porcello has apparently scrapped his curveball for the rest of the season. This means the Tigers have taken the reins off and are allowing him to throw the plus slider he had when he was drafted. He came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties with good sink, a 2-7 slider with above average bite that was a little slurvy and was a big breaker and a change with good fade from lefties with above average sink. Even if Brandon Webb was healthy, he may have the best sinker in all of baseball. It has unbelievable tilt when on and can go from the belt to the knees of a hitter at 95.

1st: FB (92-94), SL (85)

2nd: FB (91-96), CU (82)

3rd: FB (88-94), SL (81-83), CU (81-83)

4th: FB (89-91), SL (82), CU (79-80)

5th: FB (88-92), SL (80-83), CU (81-82)

6th: FB (89-90), SL (79-82), CU (80-81)

2) Brett Tomko: 87 pitches. 13 strikes swinging. 13 Fastballs (1-pitch pitcher much?, 3 in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5 in 5th, 3 in 6th)

• Tomko came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties and good sink, a split with some dive, a 2-7 slider with good bite and a 12-6 curve with above average depth.

1st: FB (91-94), SL (83), CB (77), Split (84)

2nd: FB (91-93), SL (85), CB (78), Split (84-86)

3rd: FB (90-93), SL (83), CB (76)

4th: FB (92-94), SL (84), CB (75-79)

5th: FB (89-94), SL (80-82), CB (79), Split (84)

6th: FB (91-93), SL (80-82), CB (74), Split (84)

3) Fu Te Ni: 33 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. Fastball, 2 Changeups (All in 8th)

• Ni came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties, a 10-4 slider with good bite and a change with some fade from righties with good sink.

6th: FB (87-89), SL (74-76)

7th: FB (87-89), SL (75-76), CU (79-80)

8th: FB (88-89), SL (74-75), CU (80-81)

4) Brad Ziegler: 23 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Ziegler came from a submarine release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties with good sink, a change with above average fade from lefties and good sink that he will throw to righties and a 4-8 slider with okay bite.

7th: FB (84-87), CU (75-76), SL (72-73)

5) Craig Breslow: 3 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Breslow came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties, a change with some fade from lefties with sink that he will throw to righties and a 11-5 slider with good bite.

7th: FB (89), SL (84), CU (77)

6) Michael Wuertz: 21 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 3 Sliders (all in 8th)

• Wuertz came from an over the top release and showed a 2-7 slider with good bite and a straight 4-seam fastball.

7th: SL (86-87)

8th: SL (86-89), FB (90-93)

7) Ryan Perry: 33 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs, 2 Sliders.

• Perry came from a high 3/4 release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball and a slurvy 2-7 slider with good bite.

8th: FB (92-96), SL (82-85)

8) Jeff Gray: 10 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Gray is a 6-3, 195 pound righty. The 27 year old has a medium frame that is real long and skinny and shows the frame to get up to at least 215. He came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties with good sink and a 12-6 curve with average depth. Looks like he has a chance to be a solid middle reliever with his sinker.

9th: FB (91-95), CB (79)

Chart Observations: 8/23 SF @ COL

1) Tim Lincecum: 121 pitches. 13 strikes swinging. 6 Fastballs (1st, 3 in 2nd, 4th, 6th), 6 Changeups (2 in 1st, 2 in 3rd, 4th, 6th), Curveball (6th)

• Lincecum came from an over the top release with a fastball with good run in on righties and some sink, a sharp 12-6 curve with above average depth, a change with good fade from lefties with good sink that flashes plus, plus sink (and it makes it unhittable) and a 2-7 slider with good bite. His change is thrown with a split grip. He began working out of the stretch primarily in the 6th (that is when I noticed) and he apparently does this when he is uncomfortable (he was throwing a no hitter at the time...)

1st: FB (93-95), CU (83-84), CB (74-78)

2nd: FB (90-96), CU (82-86), CB (74-76)

3rd: FB (90-94), CU (82-85), CB (75-79), SL (82)

4th: FB (93-94), CU (83-84), CB (80), SL (83)

5th: FB (91-92), CU (83), CB (76), SL (83)

6th: FB (88-94), CU (84-86), CB (75-77), SL (81-82)

7th: FB (88-93), CU (81-84), CB (75-78)

2) Ubaldo Jimenez: 119 pitches. 13 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs (2 in 1st, 7th), 5 Sliders (2 in 2nd, 2 in 4th, 6th), 5 Curveballs (1st, 2 in 3rd, 4th, 5th)

• Jimenez came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties and a little sink, a change thrown with a split grip that has good fade from lefties and good sink, a 2-7 slider with solid bite and a 12-6 curve with slightly above average depth.

1st: FB (95-99), SL (86-89), CU (85-88), CB (79)

2nd: FB (94-96), SL (87-89), CU (85-86), CB (79)

3rd: FB (91-97), CU (86-87), CB (77-81)

4th: FB (95-98), SL (86-88), CB (77-80)

5th: FB (93-97), SL (87), CB (81)

6th: FB (97-99), SL (86-87), CU (87-88)

7th: FB (94-98), SL (86-88), CU (88-89)

8th: FB (95-97), SL (88-89), CU (85), CB (78-80)

3) Jeremy Affeldt: 22 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs.

• Affeldt came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some cut action and a sharp 11-5 curve with average depth.

8th: FB (95-97), CB (78-81)

4) Sergio Romo: 9 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Romo came from a 3/4 release and showed a 3-8 slider with good bite and a fastball with some run in on righties.

8th: FB (91), SL (75-78)

5) Huston Street: 14 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Slider.

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

9th: FB (92-94), SL (84), CU (84)

Be jealous, I got paid to watch this entire series and got to watch this stellar pitching matchup. This series felt like playoff baseball and was phenomenal to watch.

Chart Observations: 8/23 STL @ SD

1) Cesar Carrillo: 72 pitches. 6 strikes swinging. 6 Changeups (4 in 2nd, 2 in 3rd)

• Carrillo is a 6-3, 175 pound righty. The 25 year old has a medium frame that can add a ton more muscle. He is a very skinny kid with little definition. He came from an over the top release with a little cocking action and can rush his delivery at times, causing his arm to play catch up. His fastball has some run in on righties and some sink. His curve is a 12-6 offering with slightly above average depth. His change has some fade from lefties with above average sink that he will throw to righties and is his best off-speed offering. He will pitch backwards and trusts himsle fot throw his change for strikes (threw 3-2 changeups to Smoltz and to Holliday with the bases loaded). His fastball command is iffy and still has a tendency to miss up in the zone. I like his stuff, and he doesn't have as much development time as his age suggests due to arm injuries. I think he could be a late bloomer and be a solid # 4 in the back of a contender's rotation.

1st: FB (90-92), CB (75-78), CU (85-87)

2nd: FB (89-93), CB (75-79), CU (82-86)

3rd: FB (91-92), CB (80), CU (84-87)

2) John Smoltz: 75 pitches. 12 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (both in 2nd), 6 Sliders (2 in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 2 in 5th), 4 Splitters (both in 1st, 3rd, 5th)

• Smoltz came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with a little run in on righties, a 2-7 slider with some bite, a split with above average dive and a 12-6 curve with slightly above average depth that he likes to throw to lefties to steal a strike. In the weaker league, he should dominate. The Padres just didn't jump on his fastball and choose to either wait for an off-speed offering (bad decision) or fouled it off. The fastball got pounded in the AL and was the cause for his release and it remains to be seen if this will occur eventually in the NL.

1st: FB (92-93), SL (84-87), Split (87-88), CB (79)

2nd: FB (92-94), SL (84-85), Split (87), CB (76)

3rd: FB (91-92), SL (82-85), Split (86-88)

4th: FB (90-92), SL (83-85), Split (86-88)

5th: FB (91-93), SL (83-86), Split (85-86)

3) Edward Mujica: 37 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (4th, 5th), 2 Sliders (4th, 5th), Splitter (4th)

• Mujica came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with a little run in on righties and some sink, a split with above average dive and a 2-7 slider with solid bite. His 3rd inning velocity #'s are down because he came in the middle of an at-bat and had just started getting loose at the beginning of that at-bat, but Bud Black couldn't watch anymore of Carrillo.

3rd: FB (90), Split (85-87), SL (82-84)

4th: FB (92-94), Split (85-89), SL (84)

5th: FB (91-93), Split (87), SL (82-83)

4) Greg Burke: 36 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Sliders (6th, 7th), Fastball (7th)

• Burke came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties with good sink and a 2-7 slider with solid bite.

6th: FB (90-94), SL (83-85)

7th: FB (89-91), SL (81-84)

5) Blake Hawksworth: 21 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Hawksworth came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties and some sink, a change with some fade from lefties and good sink and a cutter with a little cut.

6th: FB (91-92), CU (80-83), Cut (86-87)

6) Dennys Reyes: 4 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Reyes came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with a little late run in on lefties and a 11-5 slider with solid bite.

6th: FB (89-90), SL (85)

7) Jason Motte: 8 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

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

7th: FB (91-95), Cut (88)

8) Trever Miller: 9 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Miller came from a low 3/4 release and showed a fairly straight 4-seam fastball, a change with some fade from righties with good sink and a 10-4 slider with good bite.

7th: FB (85-87), CU (80)

8th: FB (84-85), SL (74-77)

9) Joe Thatcher: 2 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Thatcher is a sidearmer who showed a fastball with some cut.

7th: FB (86-87)

10) Luke Gregerson: 15 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Gregerson came from a 3/4 release and showed a change with some fade from lefties and some sink, a fastball with good run in on righties and some sink and a 3-8 slider with good bite.

8th: FB (90-93), SL (82-85), CU (76-77)

11) Heath Bell: 18 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs, Curveball.

• Bell came from an over the top release and showed a sharp 12-6 curve with above average depth and a straight 4-seam fastball with some natural sink.

9th: FB (91-94), CB (81-82)

12) Ryan Franklin: 33 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Cutters, Splitter.

• Franklin came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball, a cutter with good cut and some sink, a 12-6 curve with above average depth and a split with good dive.

9th: FB (90-93), Cut (89-91), CB (77-79), Split (83-85)