9/29: HOU @ PHI

1) J.A. Happ: 119 pitches. (FB, Cut, CU, CB). 11 strikes swinging. 7 Fastballs, 2 Cutters, 2 Changeups.

• Happ came from an over the top release and showed a pretty straight 4-seam fastball, a straight change that looks like a fastball out of his hand that he will throw in 2-0., 3-0 and 3-1 counts, a cutter with good downward action to it and a 11-5 curve with average depth.

1st: FB (89-92), Cut (81-83), CU (80-81) - FB (Matsui), Cut (Berkman)

2nd: FB (89-91), Cut (84-85), CU (78-81), CB (74) - 2 FB (Pence - 2), Cut (Michaels)

3rd: FB (87-89), Cut (81-83), CU (79-80), CB (72)

4th: FB (88-92), Cut (81-83), CU (79-81) - CU (Michaels)

5th: FB (87-91), Cut (81-83), CU (79-81) - 2 FB (Matsui, Keppinger)

6th: FB (88-91), Cut (80), CU (79-80) - 2 FB (Johnson, Matsui), CU (Johnson)

2) Wilton Lopez: 57 pitches. (FB, SL, CU). 3 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs.

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

1st: FB (90-94), CU (83-84)

2nd: FB (90-95), CU (85) - 3 FB (Howard - 2, Ibanez)

3rd: FB (90-93), CU (83-84)

4th: FB (89-93), CU (82-85), SL (83-84)

3) Wesley Wright: 27 pitches. (FB, SL, CB). 2 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs.

• Wright came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties, a 11-5 slider with good bite and a sharp 11-5 curve with slightly below average depth.

4th: FB (91)

5th: FB (90-93), SL (84-86), CB (81-82) - 2 FB (Howard, Werth)

4) Chad Paronto: 19 pitches. (FB, SL, CU). 0 strikes swinging.

• Paronto is a 6-5, 285 pound righty. The 34 year old righty has a big frame that is maxed out with quite a bit of bad weight and he has a gut. He probably needs to get his weight down to about 270. He came from a high 3/4 release working predominately from the stretch with solid mechanics. His fastball has some run in on righties and some sink. His slider is a 2-7 with a hint of bite. His change has some fade from lefties and a little sink. 4-A pitcher at best. Left the game with an apparent knee injury.

6th: FB (87-90), SL (83)

7th: FB (89-91), SL (81-85), CU (83)

5) Jamie Moyer: 24 pitches. (FB, CU, Cut, CB). 0 strikes swinging.

• Moyer came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and some sink, a change with some late fade from righties and some sink and a cutter with good cut. Left the game with an apparent groin injury.

6th: FB (83-84), CU (77)

7th: FB (79-84), CU (74-77), Cut (77-82)

6) Jeff Fulchino: 7 pitches. (FB, SL, Split). 1 strike swinging. Splitter.

• Fulchino came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with a little run in on righties and a splitter with some dive.

7th: FB (94-95), Split (85-87) - Split (Ibanez)

7) Ryan Madson: 27 pitches. (FB, CU, Cut). 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Madson came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink, a cutter with some cut and a change with good fade from lefties and good sink that he will throw to righties.

8th: FB (95-97)

9th: FB (94-97), Cut (90), CU (83) - FB (Lee)

8) Sam Gervacio: 14 pitches. (FB, SL, CU). 1 strike swinging. Slider.

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

9th: FB (89-92), SL (83-86), CU (84) - SL (Bako)

8/28: ATL @ PHI

1) Tommy Hanson: 29 pitches. 7 strikes swinging. 3 Sliders, 2 Fastballs, 2 Curveballs.

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

1st: FB (92-93), SL (84), CB (77) - CB

2nd: FB (91-93), SL (79-82), CB (74-80) - 2 FB, 3 SL, CB

2) Pedro Martinez: 25 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Changeup.

• Martinez came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink, a cutter with good cut and some sink, a change with good fade from lefties and solid sink that he will throw to righties and a 12-6 curve with above average depth.

1st: FB (87-88), Cut (79-82), CU (76)

2nd: FB (87-89), Cut (79-82), CU (74-78), CB (68-69) - CU

3) Jamie Moyer: 61 pitches. 9 strikes swinging. 7 Changeups, Cutter, Fastball.

• Moyer came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and some sink, a cutter that moves like a 11-5 slider with good bite, a change that has some fade from lefties with good sink that he will throw to lefties and a 11-5 curve with above average depth.

3rd: FB (80-84), Cut (79), CU (76) - FB, 3 CU

4th: FB (81-83), Cut (78), CU (75-76), CB (71) - 3 CU

5th: FB (82-83), Cut (79), CU (75-76), CB (70) - Cut, CU

6th: FB (82-83), Cut (77-78), CB (69)

7th: CU (76)

4) Kris Medlen: 33 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. Fastball, 2 Changeups.

• Medlen came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink, a 12-6 curve with slightly above average depth, a change with above average sink and good fade from lefties.

3rd: FB (90-93), CU (81-83), CB (78) - CU

4th: FB (90-92), CU (81-84), CB (81-82) - FB, CU

5) Eric O'Flaherty: 24 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Sliders, Fastball.

• O'Flaherty came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and a little sink, a change with some fade from righties and good sink that he will throw to lefties and a 11-5 slider with good bite. He will throw 2-0 sliders.

5th: FB (89-91), CU (83), SL (85) - SL

6th: FB (87-91), CU (83-85), SL (82-86) - FB, SL

6) Chan Ho Park: 7 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Park came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink, a change with some fade from lefties and good sink that he will throw to righties, a 12-6 curve with above average depth and a 2-7 slider with good bite.

7th: FB (91-94), SL (88), CB (79), CU (84) - SL

7) Peter Moylan: 11 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Slider, Changeup.

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

7th: FB (89-92), SL (80), CU (81) - SL, CU

8) Ryan Madson: 25 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 3 Changeups.

• Madson came from an over the top release and showed a cutter with good cut and some sink, a straight 4-seam fastball that flashes some run in on righties and a change with good fade from lefties and solid sink that he will throw to righties.

8th: FB (93-97), Cut (89-91), CU (84-86) - 3 CU

9) Mike Gonzalez: 12 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Gonzalez came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and some sink and a 11-5 slider with good bite.

8th: FB (89-94), SL (78-86) - SL

10) Brad Lidge: 12 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Sliders.

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

9th: FB (93-94), SL (83-85) - 2 SL

PHI @ TB

1) David Price: 88 pitches, 4 Strike Swingings. All on Fastballs. 3 in 1st Inning, 1 in 3rd Inning

• He came from a high 3/4 release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball, a sharp
  11-5 slider that had good bite, an 11-5 curveball that was a big breaker and a
  straight change that flashes sink. He was leaving his slider up (and it
  flattened out) and his fastball didn't have its typical oomph. His defense
  also let him down.

1st: FB (91-94), SL (85-88), CB (81), CU (84-85)

2nd: FB (91-94), CB (78)

3rd: FB (91-93), SL (86), CB (75-79)

4th: FB (91-93), SL (82-87)

5th: FB (89-93), SL (83-87)

2) Jamie Moyer: 101 pitches. 6 Strikes Swinging. 5 on Fastballs (1 in 2nd, 3 in 4th, 1 in 5th) and 1 on a changeup (2nd)

• He came from a high 3/4, almost over the top release with a fastball that is a 2-seam with good fade and sink, a big breaking 12-6 curve with good depth, a change with some fade and sink and a cutter that is a slider like 11-4 pitch.

1st: FB (80-81), CB (68-69), CU (74)

2nd: FB (81), CU (73-74)

3rd: FB (79-82), CB (67-69), CU (73-75), Cut (78)

4th: FB (79-81), CB (68-69), CU (73-75), Cut (76-78)

5th: FB (78-81), CU (72-74), Cut (77-78)

6th: FB (78-80), CB (66-68), CU (72-73), Cut (76)

3) Winston Abreu: 41 pitches. 6 Strikes Swinging. 5 on Sliders (4 in 5th, 1 in 6th) and 1 on a fastball (7th)

• He is a 6-2, 170 pound righty. The 32 year old has a medium frame that can add more muscle. He comes from an over the top release. He leans back and goes forward and goes up in the air a little bit with a drop and drive. Windmill like action. His slider is a 1-7 pitch with solid bite, though it can flatten out or be very sharp. His fastball is a straight 4-seam and his change is a straight offering. He has good command of his slider, but struggles to command his other pitches. Tweener pitcher, as his velocity began to drop the longer he pitched, but I don't know if he is a 1 inning guy or not.

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

6th: FB (90-93), SL (79-85), CU (84)

7th: FB (89-92), SL (82-84), CU (85)

4) Tyler Walker: 27 pitches. 0 Strikes Swinging.

• He comes from an over the top release and shows a straight 4-seam fastball, a 2-7 slider with good bite and a change with good fade and sink. 4-A arm now.

7th: FB (90-92), SL (79-83), CU (78)

8th: FB (90-91), SL (82-83), CU (78)

5) Lance Cormier: 31 Pitches. 2 Strikes Swinging on cutters (1 in 8th, 1 in 9th).

• Cormier is a 6-1, 200 pound righty. The 28 year old has a medium frame that can add a little more muscle. He comes from an over the top release and shows a cutter with solid cut and sink, a 12-6 curve with good depth that may be able to be a strikeout pitch and a 2-seam fastball with some sink and run in on righties. Solid long-man, don't expect a whole lot more and he is pitching a little over his head right now.

8th: Cut (85-87), CB (76-77), FB (87)

9th: Cut (85-87), CB (76-77)

6) Sergio Escalona: 14 Pitches. 0 Strikes Swinging

• Escalona is a 6-0, 170 pound lefty. The 24 year old has a medium frame that can add a little more muscle. He comes from a high 3/4 release. His fastball is a straight 4-seam. His change is a straight change that looks like a fastball out of his hand. His curve is an 11-5 pitch with good depth and may be able to be a strike out pitch. 2nd lefty in a pen is his upside in my opinion and he shows solid velocity for a lefty.

9th: FB (89-91), CB (77-80), CU (79-82)

Oswalt vs. Hochevar for a score tomorrow in addition to a chart.

Chart Observations: PHI @ NYM

• Tim Redding is a 31 year old right hander who stands 5-11, 230. He has a small frame that is maxed out. He comes from a high 3/4, almost over the top release. His fastball shows some fade and sink, though it can flatten out and he mixes in a straight 4-seam on occasion. His change moves just like his fastball, just a little bit slower. He throws a hard curve as his preferred strikeout pitch and its a 12-6 pitch with late bite and he will also throw a bigger breaking curveball with good depth for strikes. His slider is a 1-7 offering that can be slurvy or sharp and it flashes late bite. His command is above average and he is your typical # 5 starter.

1st: FB (87-90), CB (78), CU (83)

2nd: FB (88-92), CB (73-76), SL (81-84)

3rd: FB (88-90), CB (75), CU (81), SL (81-82)

4th: FB (87-91), CB (76), CU (80-83), SL (81-84)

5th: FB (86-89), SL (80-84)

6th: FB (84-90), CB (75), CU (78-81), SL (81-82)

7th: FB (87-90), CU (80-82), SL (79-84)

• Jamie Moyer opposed him and came from a 3/4 release. His fastball is a 2-seam with good sink and fade. His cutter is an 11-4 pitch that moves more like a slider with decent bite. His change moves like his fastball, but has more sink. His curveball is a big breaking 11-4 pitch with good depth. He will throw changes in on lefties.

1st: FB (82-83), Cut (78)

2nd: FB (81-83), Cut (78), CU (76)

3rd: FB (81-83), CU (75), CB (70)

4th: FB (80-83), CU (74-75), CB (67-70)

5th: FB (80-83), CB (71)

6th: FB (80-82), CU (74-75)

• Clay Condrey is a 6-3, 225 pound right hander. The 33 year old has a medium to big frame that is maxed out. He comes from a high 3/4 release with a 2-seam fastball with good fade and sink and a cutter with late cut and some sink on occasion. Solid middle reliever.

7th: FB (89-92), Cut (87-89)

8th: FB (90-91), Cut (89)

• Pedro Feliciano is a sidearmer who showed a cutter with good cut and sink, a change with good fade and sink, a fastball with good late sink and some fade and a sweeping 9-3 slider.

8th: FB (87-88), Cut (81-83), SL (76-77), CU (74)

• Bobby Parnell comes from a high 3/4 release with a 4-seam fastball wtih some fade that will flash sink and a sharp 2-7 slider with good bite.

9th: FB (94-98), SL (84-88)

10th: FB (94-97), SL (87)

• Chad Durbin comes from a 3/4 release with a fastball that had good fade, a cutter with good cut and a slider that is more of a downward pitch then a side to side pitch (12-6ish)

9th: FB (90-92), Cut (86-88), SL (87)

• Scott Eyre comes from a high 3/4 release with a straight 4-seam fastball and 10-4 slider with decent bite.

9th: FB (89), SL (82)

• Ken Takahashi is a 40 year old who stands 6-0, 200. The lefty won't be adding any more muscle to his frame. He comes from a high 3/4 release. His slider is a 10-4 offering that can just hang or show good bite. He throws a 2-seam with good fade and some sink and uses it against lefties primarily. He will mix in a straight 4-seam. He accomplished his goal of pitching in the bigs and can't see him pitching past this season.

10th: 4-FB (90), 2-FB (82-84), SL (79)

• Sean Green is a sidearmer who features a sweeping 3-8 slider and a fastball with good fade and sink.

10th: FB (88-89), SL (74-75)

• Ryan Madson comes from an over the top release with a fastball that has some fade and flashes as a pitch with good sink as well and a change with good fade and sink that looks like a fastball out of his hand.

11th: FB (92-96), CU (83-86)

Diamondbacks-Astros later tonight featuring Dan Haren and Mike Hampton. Hampton is incredibly difficult to chart, let alone try and follow his stuff while scoring. I will try to give the best velocities I can for him.

Chart Observations: FLA @ PHI

• Chris Volstad is a 22 year old who stands 6-8, 225. The right hander has a big frame with room to add a ton more muscle everywhere. From an over the top release, he showcased a fastball at 90-94, a curveball at 79-83 and a changeup at 82-85. His curveball is a sharp breaking 12-6 pitch with good bite. His changeup shows excellent fade and average sink. His fastball shows good late sink and above average fade. All of his pitches are above average and he generates a great downhill plane for his pitches. He needs to be more consistent with all his offerings break-wise and command-wise, as some pitches will flatten out and he will also struggle to locate his fastball. None of these are too concerning for a young pitcher. An average # 3 right now, he shows the frame to be able to get his fastball up consistently to the 93-95 area and if he can do that, he is a # 2.
• Jamie Moyer is a 46 year old who is 6-0 185. The lefthander's frame really doesn't matter, as it won't be adding any muscle any way, it will just be wasting away. From an over the top release, he showed a fastball at 80-83, a cutter at 74-80, a changeup at 74-76 and a curveball at 67-70. His fastball is a 2-seamer with above average movement and is an average offering. His cutter is an 11-4 type pitch with good depth and looks similar to his curveball and is an average offering. His changeup gets good and sink and shows a little fade and is average. His curveball is a big breaking 11-5 pitch that is also average. Moyer has plus command and that is how he gets by. When he misses, even by a little bit, he gets hit hard. A # 5 starter and who knows how long he can keep this up?
• Chan Ho Park is a 35 year old who stands 6-2, 210. The right hander has a medium frame that looks to be maxed out. From a high 3/4 release, he shows a fastball at 89-94, a slider at 80-85, a curveball at 75-80 and a changeup at 83-84. His fastball shows above average fade with little sink and is an average offering. His changeup has decent bite and some fade and is also an average offering. His slider is a 3rd average offering with decent break, a 2-7 pitch. His curveball is a 12-6 offering with decent bite and is somewhat loopy, a 4th average pitch. Park has above average command and looks like a swingman.
• Dan Meyer is a 27 year old who stands 6-3, 220. Yes, this is the same Dan Meyer who was the centerpiece of the Tim Hudson deal. The left hander has a medium to big frame that looks to be maxed out. From an over the top release, he showed a fastball at 92 and a slider at 85. His fastball is a straight 4-seam while his slider is a frisbee slider that is above average due to its velocity. Currently a LOOGY for the Marlins, I think he could be an inning reliever as opposed to a batter reliever, but is still a middle reliever for a contender.
• Leo Nunez is a 25 year old who stands 6-1, 175. The right hander has a medium frame with room to add more muscle, especially in the lower half. From a 3/4 release, he showed a fastball at 94-97, a changeup at 85-88 and a slider at 86. His fastball is a straight 4-seam. His changeup shows great fade and looks like a fastball until it takes a right turn about halfway to home plate and is a plus pitch. His slider is a sharp 2-7 pitch with good late bite and is an above average offering. I think he is a future closer, though he does have a high effort delivery.
• Matt Lindstrom is a 29 year old who stands 6-4, 210. The flame throwing right hander has a big frame with room to add more muscle and can probably get up to 225. From a high 3/4 release, he featured a fastball at 95-99 and a slider at 83-84. His fastball is a straight 4-seam while his slider has the bottom drop out of it with great bite. An above average offering, but one that he doesn't seem to be able to throw for strikes. A legit closer who will need to answer command questions (didn't show any in this outing) to be recognized as an above average closer.

Got into work at 8 AM after falling asleep around 1:30 to ensure I had enough time to make my baseball game today, so of course it gets cancelled. Chart, score, baseball game tomorrow.

A lot of Observations

Yesterday afternoon's game was blacked out, so I just scored it from Gameday. Charted the Mets-Phillies game and live scored the Rays-Red Sox game today.

• Oliver Perez has lost a lot of his stuff and almost all his command. This is no longer a pitcher who sat in the mid 90's and teased with you a great slider. This new version of Perez sits in the low 90's and teases with you a wildly inconsistent average slider. The main problem is all the old command issues remain. He struggles to control his stuff, let alone command it in the strike zone. You could also tell he was upset and frustrated with his performance yesterday (he was getting squeezed quite a bit as well). He has the look of a pitcher who doesn't know what else to do to try and get results. The Mets must tread carefully here, as he may be close to just losing the mental side of it as well.
• Jamie Moyer is a freak. The guy has a tremendous 2-seam fastball that sits in the low 80's. He complements this with an above average low 70's curveball, a high 70's cutter and a mid 70's changeup. He has above average command of all his pitches and looks to be ready to have another solid year as a back-end starter.
• Ken Takahashi made his major league debut. The 40 year old (no typo) lefty sits with a fastball at the high 80's, a decent changeup in the low 80's, a decent slider in the mid 80's and a curveball at the low 70's. He is an extra arm. He has good command, but nothing about his package jumps out at you. Plus, what team has much time for a 40-year old rookie (and only the Mets would have time if he was Latino)
• Pedro Feliciano threw a 1st pitch changeup to Raul Ibanez (who hit it out of the balpark to knot the game at 5) for some reason. Made zero sense.
• This leads me to my next point in regards to why Jerry Manuel may favor Omir Santos over Ramon Castro: game-calling. Castro called many questionable pitches, like changeups out of Perez when behind in the count and obviously struggling to command everything. Castro also rarely visited the mound to try and reassure his pitcher. Not saying anything for sure, but that was my observation. Castro is a very useful bat.
• Bobby Parnell has a big arm, sitting in the middle to high 90's with his fastball. He showed zero ability to command either of his off-speed pitches though (a mid 80's change and a high 80's slider). He can be a strong late inning reliever, but you have to wish that the kid could have gotten half a season in AAA to try and develop an off-speed pitch. You can't do that in the big leagues.
• I am going to echo what a lot of other people have said this season: Ryan Madson is the best reliever in the Phillies bullpen. Madson is throwing a high 90's fastball (sat at 95-96), a tremendous change that is effective to hitters on both sides of the plate at the low 80's with good bite and fade and a low 90's cutter. If Brad Lidge's struggles continue (and his slider lacked the same bite it showed last season again yesterday), then Madson is in the driver's seat for the closer's gig.
• Brad Penny was very strong for the Red Sox. He settled in, pumping in low to mid 90's fastballs, mid 70's curveballs and a mid 80's splitter. If he pitches to his potential (and he showed today that it is still a strong # 3 starter), then the Red Sox staff will be that much better.
• James Shields was on. Featuring a low 90's fastball, a devastating low 80's change, mid 70's curveball and a mid 80's cutter, he can be dominant when he is commanding all his pitches and he was doing just that. His change is a plus-plus pitch with tremendous fade and sink, causing many hitters to swing over the top of it. He can throw it to both right handers and left handers with equal success. Theo Epstein said it best on the telecast: "James Shields keeps proving he is a frontline starter in this league."
• Manny Delcarmen had some control issues, which the announcers say may be related to a hip flexor. I don't buy it, but he definitely struggled commanding his low to mid 90's fastball and low 80's changeup.
• Hunter Jones is an extra arm. The kid has a solid low 70's curveball, but with a fastball sitting in the mid 80's (mostly 86), he will get hit hard once teams just sit on that. A low 70's curveball is not a good pitch to have as your out pitch when you are trying to become a LOOGY.
• Ramon Ramirez is a very, very good reliever. Hard for me to fathom that both the Rockies (Huston Street and Manny Corpas are inferior pitchers) and Royals (though they did get Coco Crisp) dealt him away. He attacks with a mid 90's fastball and a mid to high 80's changeup that is just filthy. He is a luxury as a 7th inning guy with the likes of Saito and Papelbon ahead of him in the pecking order.
• Carl Crawford stole 6 bases to go with a 4-4 day. The guy knows how to use his legs by pounding the ball on the ground and just running. Of his 6 steals, only 1 was close (not Jason Varitek's fault, he was stealing them on the pitchers and twice stole the pitch after pitchouts, the best time to run).

I have copies of every game played thus far this season at my disposal at work, so if there is someone specific you would like for me to get a read on for you, let me know.