Early observation
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tipyerbartender1
Guest
That last Wednesday point is very ominous indeed.
tuck321
Not all those who wander are lost
<header> [h=2]Zen and the Art of Gio Gonzalez: Nationals' lefty impresses again with command, poise[/h] By Patrick Reddington
</header><header> @federalbaseball on Apr 23, 2016, 8:33a +
</header>
<source type="image/webp">
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Through six innings on the mound last night in Nationals Park, Washington's 30-year-old lefty Gio Gonzalez was a picture of calm. The seventh got interesting, but Gonzalez put together another solid outing in what is a strong start to the 2016 campaign.
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Gio Gonzalez earned his reputation for wearing his emotions on his sleeve over his first few seasons in D.C., but the Washington Nationals' lefty has adopted a calmer demeanor on the mound early this year.
Is it behind his early-season success? It hasn't hurt.
Through two starts before Friday's outing against the Minnesota Twins in Nationals Park, the 30-year-old left-hander had allowed just one run in 13 innings, over which he had a 0.69 ERA, a 2.89 FIP, three walks (2.08 BB/9), 12 Ks (8.31 K/9) and a .152/.208/.244 line against.
"There are certain things that translate to either fear, or I'm not afraid of you. Whether it's fake or true, it still serves a purpose." -Dusty Baker on pitchers remaining calm on the mound
Nats' skipper Dusty Baker said Gonzalez's mound presence and the changes he's made this season are something they've discussed when a reporter noted that the left-hander has occasionally stepped off the mound to calm things down when he's gotten in trouble in his first two outings, whereas in the past he might have been talking to himself and making his frustration clear.
"I had talked to him in the past and also some other people," Baker explained before Gonzalez took the mound to face the visiting Minnesota Twins.
"I had told him about [what] Fernando Valenzuela did as a young player, as a very young pitcher.
"He'd walk behind the mound, call timeout, rub the ball up, and I think [Anthony] Rendon has really taken it upon himself to call a timeout for him sometimes.
"Rendon, I've seen him go to the mound two or three times within the course of a game.
"I don't ask him what he's saying, but I know what he's doing."
Baker, as a former major league hitter, said he used to like seeing a pitcher get rattled when things got rough.
"We would say he was 'visibly shaken'," Baker said. "You like to see that look on a pitcher's face if I'm facing him.
"You don't like to see the look of controlled anger or no expression on the pitcher's face.
"There are certain things that translate to either fear, or I'm not afraid of you. Whether it's fake or true, it still serves a purpose."
In start No. 3 of his fifth season in D.C., Gonzalez once again kept his emotions under control as he battled for six plus innings, striking out eight of the 26 batters he faced while inducing seven ground ball outs from Twins' hitters.
In the end, he allowed six hits and three runs, two earned, in an 8-4 win.
Back-to-back singles and a base-loading walk in the seventh brought Gonzalez's outing to a close.
"Probably the command of his pitches and the calmness with which he's approaching pitching," Baker said. "He appeared very confident and calm. That's what's been most impressive." -Dusty Baker on Gio Gonzalez vs the Twins
"Gio was great until the seventh," Baker told reporters after the win.
"He didn't want to come out, but at that time they were threatening."
"American League teams are very capable, big inning teams, kind of like we are. So, tried to stop it. We did.
"[Shawn] Kelley came in and got a big strikeout and almost got a double play to get us out of that inning and then the rest of the bullpen did the job."
Asked what impressed him most about Gonzalez's outing, which left him (W, 1-0) after the win with a 1.42 ERA, a 2.24 FIP, four walks (1.89 BB/9), 20 Ks (9.47 K/9) and a .183/.230/.243 line against in 19 innings, Baker once again pointed to the left-hander's poise.
"Probably the command of his pitches and the calmness with which he's approaching pitching," he said. "He appeared very confident and calm. That's what's been most impressive.
"We would have loved for him to go through that [seventh] inning, but he was around the 85-to-88 mark and we just thought that that was enough. Especially with the capable bullpen that we have."
Gonzalez, as usual, praised the work everyone else did to help him out on the mound.
"I've got to give credit to my catcher and my pitching coach," he said.
[h=2]Nats 8-4 over Twins: Gio Gonzalez impresses again[/h]
Phot
</header><header> @federalbaseball on Apr 23, 2016, 8:33a +
</header>
<source type="image/webp">
Through six innings on the mound last night in Nationals Park, Washington's 30-year-old lefty Gio Gonzalez was a picture of calm. The seventh got interesting, but Gonzalez put together another solid outing in what is a strong start to the 2016 campaign.
Tweet Share (42) Pin
Gio Gonzalez earned his reputation for wearing his emotions on his sleeve over his first few seasons in D.C., but the Washington Nationals' lefty has adopted a calmer demeanor on the mound early this year.
Is it behind his early-season success? It hasn't hurt.
Through two starts before Friday's outing against the Minnesota Twins in Nationals Park, the 30-year-old left-hander had allowed just one run in 13 innings, over which he had a 0.69 ERA, a 2.89 FIP, three walks (2.08 BB/9), 12 Ks (8.31 K/9) and a .152/.208/.244 line against.
"There are certain things that translate to either fear, or I'm not afraid of you. Whether it's fake or true, it still serves a purpose." -Dusty Baker on pitchers remaining calm on the mound
Nats' skipper Dusty Baker said Gonzalez's mound presence and the changes he's made this season are something they've discussed when a reporter noted that the left-hander has occasionally stepped off the mound to calm things down when he's gotten in trouble in his first two outings, whereas in the past he might have been talking to himself and making his frustration clear.
"I had talked to him in the past and also some other people," Baker explained before Gonzalez took the mound to face the visiting Minnesota Twins.
"I had told him about [what] Fernando Valenzuela did as a young player, as a very young pitcher.
"He'd walk behind the mound, call timeout, rub the ball up, and I think [Anthony] Rendon has really taken it upon himself to call a timeout for him sometimes.
"Rendon, I've seen him go to the mound two or three times within the course of a game.
"I don't ask him what he's saying, but I know what he's doing."
Baker, as a former major league hitter, said he used to like seeing a pitcher get rattled when things got rough.
"We would say he was 'visibly shaken'," Baker said. "You like to see that look on a pitcher's face if I'm facing him.
"You don't like to see the look of controlled anger or no expression on the pitcher's face.
"There are certain things that translate to either fear, or I'm not afraid of you. Whether it's fake or true, it still serves a purpose."
In start No. 3 of his fifth season in D.C., Gonzalez once again kept his emotions under control as he battled for six plus innings, striking out eight of the 26 batters he faced while inducing seven ground ball outs from Twins' hitters.
In the end, he allowed six hits and three runs, two earned, in an 8-4 win.
Back-to-back singles and a base-loading walk in the seventh brought Gonzalez's outing to a close.
"Probably the command of his pitches and the calmness with which he's approaching pitching," Baker said. "He appeared very confident and calm. That's what's been most impressive." -Dusty Baker on Gio Gonzalez vs the Twins
"Gio was great until the seventh," Baker told reporters after the win.
"He didn't want to come out, but at that time they were threatening."
"American League teams are very capable, big inning teams, kind of like we are. So, tried to stop it. We did.
"[Shawn] Kelley came in and got a big strikeout and almost got a double play to get us out of that inning and then the rest of the bullpen did the job."
Asked what impressed him most about Gonzalez's outing, which left him (W, 1-0) after the win with a 1.42 ERA, a 2.24 FIP, four walks (1.89 BB/9), 20 Ks (9.47 K/9) and a .183/.230/.243 line against in 19 innings, Baker once again pointed to the left-hander's poise.
"Probably the command of his pitches and the calmness with which he's approaching pitching," he said. "He appeared very confident and calm. That's what's been most impressive.
"We would have loved for him to go through that [seventh] inning, but he was around the 85-to-88 mark and we just thought that that was enough. Especially with the capable bullpen that we have."
Gonzalez, as usual, praised the work everyone else did to help him out on the mound.
"I've got to give credit to my catcher and my pitching coach," he said.
[h=2]Nats 8-4 over Twins: Gio Gonzalez impresses again[/h]
Phot
tuck321
Not all those who wander are lost
Washington this year is 3-0 on Wednesday
34-17 last 3 years which is pitiful for them but caused by massive injuries
This season
On the 20th
At Miami 3-1 win
On the 13th 3-0 win at home vs Atlanta
On the 6th 3-1 at Atlanta
Yesterday Washington was playing off a day off but still recovering from 16 innings in the previous game.
34-17 last 3 years which is pitiful for them but caused by massive injuries
This season
On the 20th
At Miami 3-1 win
On the 13th 3-0 win at home vs Atlanta
On the 6th 3-1 at Atlanta
Yesterday Washington was playing off a day off but still recovering from 16 innings in the previous game.
tuck321
Not all those who wander are lost
Gio and ref
<tbody>
</tbody>
Little this season is 3-1 for the home team
2 favorites and 1 dog
Last season 13-10 for the home team
[TABLE="class: data"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD="class: datahead, colspan: 2"][/TD]
[TD="class: datahead, width: 2%"][/TD]
[TD="class: datahead, colspan: 2"]Home Underdog[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: mbt, width: 30%, bgcolor: #ECECE4"] -101 to -120
-121 to -140
-141 to -160
-161 to -180
-181 + [/TD]
[TD="class: datacell, width: 19%"] 4-3
0-5
4-0
1-0
3-1[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]
| WAS 13 - CHC 0 | G. Gonzalez | C. Villanueva | -189/7.5 | Home |
<tbody>
</tbody>
Little this season is 3-1 for the home team
2 favorites and 1 dog
Last season 13-10 for the home team
[TABLE="class: data"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD="class: datahead, colspan: 2"][/TD]
[TD="class: datahead, width: 2%"][/TD]
[TD="class: datahead, colspan: 2"]Home Underdog[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: mbt, width: 30%, bgcolor: #ECECE4"] -101 to -120
-121 to -140
-141 to -160
-161 to -180
-181 + [/TD]
[TD="class: datacell, width: 19%"] 4-3
0-5
4-0
1-0
3-1[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]
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tipyerbartender1
Guest
Thanks, tuck, seriously. Interesting details. I consider a lot of that stuff a coincidental byproduct of the Nats being pretty good and probably a million other things, but we all have our beliefs. You could have saved time and sold me at "Hellickson stinks". I know the Nats are winning, but the bats have been kind of scattershot. Loved Philly last night, my Super Tuesday system, but not tonight. Good luck!
inZane
Loving Life on Planet Earth
The Nats on Wed. are 3-0 this year, and 34-17 the last 3 years.
T
tipyerbartender1
Guest
He said that, inz. You don't have to beat me over the head twice on a Wednesday.
T
tipyerbartender1
Guest
As a matter of fact, I kind of read it as a .670 winning percentage falling short of Washington's Wednesday ceiling. This team loves Wednesday.
inZane
Loving Life on Planet Earth
It's a recent kind of love, though. Since 1997 they're 233-241.
However, for the last three years the Phils are 19-33 on Wednesday. So, if you went to church on Saturday, you might be a winner tonight. Sunday, maybe wait a day.
