TUESDAY TIDBITS
FROM THE BILL CHUCK FILES
HERE ARE 18 GOODIES FOR YOU
When the Yankees have 10+ hits in a game, they are 12-0, the only undefeated team in the majors. But that means that when they don’t have at least 10 hits, they are 14-16.
The Shohei Ohtani スランプ (suranpu is Japanese for slump) continues. He looks lost at the plate. Last night, he went 0-5. Shohei has been to the plate in 38 games this season. He has not had a hit in 16 of them, that’s 42%. Last season, he was hitless in 41 of 158 games, that’s 26%. Last night, he struck out twice. Last season, he struck out in 119 games, a surprisingly high 75% of his games. This season, he’s struck out in 29 games, an even higher rate of 76%.
Shohei is not the guy the Dodgers want to ignite a rally this season. He is the team’s leadoff batter, and with the bases empty, Shohei is hitting .082, 6-73. He has 24 total bases and has struck out 27 times. Over the last 10 games, he is hitting .105 (4-38), with 3 RBI and 5 total bases. He has gone homerless in 11 straight games, his second 11-game streak of the season. He has homered once in his last 23 games. He will not DH tomorrow when he pitches or on Thursday.
The Red Sox staff leads the majors with six shutouts. That means that when they allow a run, the team goes 11-23.
Brandon Marsh has not hit above .288 for a season, yet he’s hitting a major league-leading .353 today. Don Mattingly started managing the Phillies on April 28, and under Don, Marsh has hit .476, and his 12-game hitting streak is the longest in baseball.
The Giants are not a good-hitting team. They are hitting .244 on the season, good for seventh in the NL. Last night, they had 12 hits against the Dodgers. It was their 10th time this season with at least 12 hits. The only team that has had more 12+ hit games is the Dodgers with 11. The Dodgers are 11-1 in their 12+ hit games, and the Giants are 9-1. That means when the Giants don’t get at least 12 hits in a game, they are 8-23.
Rafael Devers is hitting .361 with a 1.154 OPS and 3 homers in his last 11 games. Hey Bob Lobel! Why can’t the Red Sox get players like that?
Nick Kurtz has reached base in 34 straight games. Kurtz doesn’t hit for much average (.259), but he’s sixth in the majors with a .414 OBP. The MLB average OBP is .332. Kurtz and Mike Trout are tied with 38 walks. They trail Tayler Ward, who leads the majors with 41 walks and a .422 OBP.
The Guardians’ starter Parker Messick is off to terrific starts. He has started 8 games. In the first four innings of his starts, totaling 32 innings pitched, he has allowed two runs. His ERA this season in the first four innings is 0.56.
Mike Trout leads the majors with 4 Yosts (3 BB in a game). He’s followed by Kurtz, Ward, and Gleyber Torres, who each have three. Only Brandon Lowe, Junior Caminero, Yordan Alvarez, Jose Ramirez, and James Wood have Golden Yosts (4 walks in a game this season. BTW: Brandon Lowe leads all MLB second basemen with 10 homers.
