Affeldt

[klaiggeb]

Rog will disagree. He will point to Jeremey's numbers and say he's had a solid year.

And likely, he's right.

But yesterday showed exactly why I have not been an affeldt fan since 2010.

He has short stretches where he's very good, then he falls into stretches where he simply isn't.

He's been in an ISNT' now for the last 7 or 8 outtings.

In an interview yesterday HE says he made the exact pitch to Gonzalez that he wanted to.

I read that, thought back to the pitch location, middle of the plate, at the belt and thought: "Huh? You WANTED to throw a curve ball over the HEART of the plate?"

Well, I guess Affeldt and I have a different concept of where to pitch Adrian.

Then again I have issues with a lot of our pitching strategy.

2 strike hits are mounting
We continue to pitch LHB down and in with fast balls
We rarely throw the LHB a back foot slider.

I don't know pitching like Krukow does, but I know this:

1-The majority of LHB WANT the ball down and in.
2-You can't pitch away all day long and NOT expect major league hitters to adjust.
3-You can't be first pitch predictable, like Affeldt was yesterday. How many times 6 of 10, 7 of 10? Does Affeldt start a LHB off with that curve ball?

Bochy normally uses Affeldt in the 6th or 7th inning for a reason, with Lopez late.

Yesterday reminded all of us as to why.

boly

[rxmeister]

I think Affeldt is good, Boly, I just don't think he's elite. He's pitched well this year, he's just not lights out like a Romo, a healthy Wilson, Lopez against lefties, etc. I had no problem with Bochy using him there though. He didn't want to go batter for batter in a tie game with extra innings looming, and although Lopez is a better choice for Gonzalez and Ethier, you don't want him pitching to Hanley Ramirez. Affeldt was the right choice, he just didn't get it done this time.

[klaiggeb]

I think Affeldt is good, Boly, I just don't think he's elite. He's pitched well this year, he's just not lights out like a Romo, a healthy Wilson, Lopez against lefties, etc. I had no problem with Bochy using him there though. He didn't want to go batter for batter in a tie game with extra innings looming, and although Lopez is a better choice for Gonzalez and Ethier, you don't want him pitching to Hanley Ramirez. Affeldt was the right choice, he just didn't get it done this time.

---boly says---

And I agree! I would have gone to Jeremy, also.

What I was pointing out was WHY I've not been an Affeldt fan since the 2010 seasons; Prolonged periods of below average performances.

boly

[sfgdood]

Nobody's been harder on the bullpen than me but I can't put that one on Affeldt. If you snap off a first pitch 12 to 6 bender and the guy hits it into triples alley, you tip your cap. Most of the time a guy guessing like that is going to get himself out, which is what happened to Gonzales the rest of the series.

~Dood

[sharksrog]

Boly -- What I was pointing out was WHY I've not been an Affeldt fan since the 2010 seasons; Prolonged periods of below average performances.

Rog -- Except for last September when injury limited Affeldt's September to just 1.2 innings, he has had only one month the past two seasons in which his ERA was above 4.15. And 4.15 isn't a below-average ERA.

I'm not a huge Jeremy fan either, but while he IS a bit streaky (isn't almost everyone, really?), he isn't bad. One advantage with him is that he's a lefty who can get right-handed hitters out (.727 OPS this season).

Affeldt had a 4.14 ERA in 2010, so he actually had one of his poorer seasons that year. Since then, his ERA's have been 2.63 and 2.85.

Let's look at the Giants' primary five relievers this season.

Romo has been outstanding, somehow having two straight stinkers, but otherwise giving up runs in only three outings all season long. His ERA is 1.74, and his WHIP is 0.84.

Casilla has been outstanding except for a very unfortunate blister period. Aside from his blister period, Santiago has yielded an earned run in only four games. Casilla's ERA is 2.72, and his WHIP is 1.19.

Javier Lopez has been very good of late, but over the season he hasn't been all that good, as his 1.46 WHIP would indicate. His ERA is a very nice 2.41, but as a specialist who has pitched just over half an inning per game, the WHIP is much more indicative of how he has pitched.

Jose Mijares has been effective but not great. 3.75 ERA with a 1.33 WHIP. Still, as a lefty specialist, he has yielded runs in only two of his 18 appearances and has a win and three holds with no blown saves. He hasn't pitched under the pressure that Lopez has, but he has likely pitched the better of the two.

Affeldt has also been good but not great. He has lost two games, but he also have 11 holds, three saves and only one blown save. Prior to Saturday's loss, he had suffered only one loss and one blown save since losing his second appearance of the season.

The two righties have had brief periods of ineffectiveness (or in the case of Casilla, not so brief, but injury-affected), but for the most part have been very dominant.

All three lefties have been OK to good, with Affeldt the best of the three. Mijares has been pretty steady, and Lopez is rebounding strongly from a poor first half.

Mota is now the Giants' #6 reliever, and has pitched unevenly since his return. George is #7, and has has slumped lately after pitching quite well over two and a half months since his June 10th callup.

Clay Hensley had been slumping after a nice start, and is due to return from the DL tomorrow IIRC. He could well take back the #6 reliever spot from Mota.


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