THT Awards

Welcome to the awards.

All stats are for Monday, May 13 through Sunday, May 19. Please see the week one column for category explanations.

This week’s proof that assigning wins and losses to a pitcher is an archaic practice that must stop

Good luck division

Matt Cain got the victory despite getting shelled for six runs in six and a third in Denver. He allowed home runs to Todd Helton, Nolan Arenado, and Wilin Rosario. Rockies starter Jhoulys Chacin was punished to the tune of eight runs in five and a third.

Wade Davis got the win despite allowing four runs in five and a third on nine hits and three walks, striking out only two of the 26 Angels he faced. He won despite his 33 game score as Barry Enright and Mark Lowe were bashed badly enough by the Royals bats that Enright was designated for assignment after the game.

Jeremy Hellickson was credited with the win in a game in which he allowed the Orioles to score eight runs in seven and two thirds on 10 hits and one walk, striking out four.

Dallas Keuchel and Max Scherzer combined to yield 10 runs in 12 and two-thirds on 12 hits and five walks. Neither took the loss.

Before he went on the disabled list, Jaime Garcia got the win in a game in which he posted a 36 game score, getting lit up to the tune of six runs in five and a third.

Jorge De La Rosa got the win at Coors upon finishing five innings with five runs allowed on nine hits and one walk, striking out one Giants batter.

Burch Smith was let off the hook with Rafael Soriano’s blown save. Smith was beaten and bruised by the Nats to the tune of five runs in five and a third. He allowed a pair of home runs to Adam LaRoche and another to Ryan Zimmerman.

Roberto Hernandez and Jair Jurrjens combined to allow nine runs in seven innings and neither took the loss. Jurrjens was in line for the victory until Jim Johnson blew the save.

Hector Santiago never made it out of the fourth inning and Joe Blanton was bombed out of the game before finishing the fifth. Neither took the loss.

Ryan Dempster allowed five runs in four and two thirds. He didn’t get the loss as the Boston lineup trashed Scott Diamond to the tune of six runs in four and a third.

Doug Fister and Derek Holland combined to allow nine runs in nine and a third on 17 hits and four walks, striking out nine. Their game scores were 28 and 35 respectively. Neither was given the loss.

Bad luck division

A Hardball Times Update
Goodbye for now.

James Shields continued to put up solid performances, only to get betrayed by his teammates’ inability to score runs. He dropped to 2-4 with a loss in Oakland. Shields allowed only two runs in eight innings on six hits and one walk, striking out nine. He now has four losses and three no-decisions in quality starts. This was his second loss in a game in which he posted a game score of 70 or higher.

The other starter in the James Shields game, Jarrod Parker, tossed seven innings, allowing one run on four hits and two walks. He played no role in the final outcome according to the scorer.

Andrew Cashner and Chris Tillman combined to throw 14 and a third, allowing three runs on nine hits and three walks, striking out 10. Neither got the win. Tillman was in line for the victory until Jim Johnson blew the lead in the ninth.

Dan Haren pitched seven frames, allowing two runs on four hits, walking none, striking out four. He took the loss as the Nationals were shut out by Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen.

Jordan Zimmerman allowed two runs in eight innings of work and took the loss. He was touched up with seven hits, walked nobody, and struck out six but Eric Stults and the Padres held the District of Columbia Nationals to one run in the game.

Mat Latos tossed eight and a third, yielding two runs on four hits and a walk, striking out four. One of the two runs was charged to Latos as it was left to closer Aroldis Chapman, who then allowed a sacrifice fly to blow the save. The other starter in the game, Jose Fernandez also posted a line that would normally deserve consideration for the category, going seven, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks.

Cliff Lee went seven frames, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks, striking out seven. Antonio Bastardo blew the hold, removing Lee from the decision.

Clay Buchholz gave the Red Sox seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks, striking out nine. The Red Sox didn’t score their third run against the Twins until the 10th inning, which was too late for Buchholz.

Ervin Santana pitched seven frames for the Royals on Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks. He took the loss as Oakland held the Royals to one run.

A.J. Burnett held the Astros to one run in seven innings on five hits and four walks, striking out seven. His bullpen let him down, blowing the lead and handing him a no-decision.

Chris Capuano and Kris Medlen combined to allow two runs in 14 and a third on seven hits and three walks, striking out 10. Neither was credited with the win.

Homer Bailey and Jonathan Pettibone combined to allow two runs in 14 innings. Courtesy of Aroldis Chapman, neither was credited with the win.

Lucas Harrell held the Pirates to one run in seven frames. But he plays for the Astros, who got shut out by Jeff Locke and the Pittsburgh bullpen. Harrell took the loss.

Vulture Award

Seth Maness blew the lead by allowing a two-run Rick Ankiel home run. It turned into his third win of the season as the Cardinals scored another run afterwards.

When Aroldis blew the save for Mat Latos, the Reds offense charged back to hand him the victory.

Chris Perez allowed two solo home runs to blow the save. The Seattle bullpen then allowed Cleveland to score more runs, handing Perez a win.

Wes Littleton Award

Luke Hochevar entered Monday’s game with the Royals up seven runs in the seventh. He finished the game for the three-inning save.

Despite pitching the last four innings in a game his team won by seven runs, Adam Warren did not get his save via the three-inning provision. He entered the game with the score at 1-0. It wasn’t until after Warren was on the mound that the Yankees scored the other six runs off Trevor Bauer and his Cleveland friends.

Edward Mujica’s 10th save came about as he retired Ruben Tejeda, Jordany Valdespin, and Mike Baxter.

Please hold the applause

Scott Rice was brought in to retire David DeJesus with a runner on second. He instead allowed a single. But he was bailed out when Marlon Byrd threw out Darwin Barney at home. Rice goes in the book with a hold when HE didn’t retire a batter but was rewarded when the runner got greedy. Good job, I suppose? Kind of? Maybe?

In Sunday’s game, Kenley Jansen recorded a loss in the same game where he was credited with a hold. He did this with the help of Brandon League as Jansen entered the game in the eighth protecting a one run lead. He allowed the first two batters to reach base safely before being pulled. With the save situation still active, the hold was granted. League allowed both inherited runners to score, ending the game. The losing run was credited to Jansen, and Jansen was given the loss and League got the blown save.

Any sufficiently advanced defense is indistinguishable from pitching

Bartolo Colon failed to strike out any of the 23 Rangers he faced. And of 20 balls in play, only three fell for hits.

Zach McAllister struck out one of the 27 Mariners he faced in seven and a third. He allowed only two runs on six hits.

Joe Carter Award

Robinson Cano and Jason Kipnis drove in eight runs each. Cano did that while accumulating 13 total bases and reaching base safely seven times in 29 plate appearances. Kipnis ended up with 22 total bases and reached base 13 times in 27 PA.

Pablo Sandoval and Nelson Cruz plated six runs each. Their lines for the week were .200/.222/.360 in 26 PA and .200/.241/.440 in 27 PA respectively.

Sanchez Award

Chris Denorfia reached base via hit five times in 16 at bats. Unfortunately none of his six hits ended with him advancing past first base before the next batter stepped to the plate. He also drew no walks, yielding a .313/.294/.313 line.

Nick Markakis went .304/.304/.391 in 23 PA.

The withered husk of Paul Konerko threw up a .286/.318/.286 in his 22 PA this week.

Harmon Killebrew Award

Brandon Moss amassed only four hits in his 20 PA, but one of the four was a triple, another was a home run, and he walked three times, leading to a nice .235/.381/.529 line.

Mark Trumbo rode four doubles and four walks to a .231/.333/.500 line in 30 PA.

Steve Balboni Award

Danny Espinosa had a rotten week. He struck out in half of his 24 PA. He hit .042/.042/.042. And his Nationals went 3-4 against the Dodgers and Padres, who currently stand as the fourth and fifth place teams in the National League West and have collectively allowed 50 more runs than they have scored.

Rickie Weeks fanned 10 times in 22 PA and ended the week with a .095/.136/.238 line.

Michael Saunders whiffed 10 times in 24 PA and batted .130/.167/.217.

Matt Dominguez didn’t lead the Astros in strikeouts this week. That honor went to Chris Carter, who hit a punchless .238/.333/.238. But Dominguez did go down on strikes seven times in 23 PA and wind up with an ugly .045/.043/.182 line.

Three true outcomes

Adam LaRoche smacked four home runs, walked three times, and struck out 10 times in 24 PA.

Adam Dunn went four-three-nine in 28 PA.

Mike Trout threw up a two-seven-eight TTO line in 28 PA.

Carlos Gonzalez went three-eight-six in 32 PA.

And Justin Upton posted a two-five-seven in 28 PA.

The anti-TTO

Starlin Castro posted a zero-one-two TTO line in 26 PA.

Erick Aybar put up the same line in 25 PA.

Alcides Escobar and Justin Morneau each went zero-zero-three in 27 PA.

This week’s MVP

AL: American League Central rivals Jason Kipnis and Miguel Cabrera share the award for the week. Kipnis went .417/.481/.917 in 27 PA with three doubles and three home runs. Cabrera went .429/.484/.964 with three doubles and four home runs.

NL: Joey Votto had a very Joey Votto week, walking five times against only one strikeout in 29 PA. He also hit pretty well, going .583/.655/.917.


8 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Gordon Danning
10 years ago

In Sunday’s game, Kenley Jansen did not enter in the 8th.  He entered with 2 on and 2 out in the 7th in a one-run game, and struck out the batter he faced, earning the hold. He then got into trouble in the 8th and took the loss.

Nickolai
10 years ago

Kipnis seems a strange mention for the Joe Carter award – as you point out later, he picked up those 8 RBIs while OBP’ing a very un-Carteresque .417.

Dave Cornutt
10 years ago

You have to give Mujica more credit than that… after all, he had to face Jordany F’ing Valdespin!

David
10 years ago

How about Jansen’s save on 5/14, where he had to retire only one batter – Tyler Moore.  He of the studly .127/.164/.238 triple slash.

But back to his hold, I never understood why a pitcher could have a win taken away because his team later lost the lead, but holds are never taken away.

John Barten
10 years ago

Gordon: I hate it when I get my chronology wrong. Apologies.

Nikolai: I wasn’t giving it to Kipnis. I was giving it to Cano and using the contrast of the two second basemen as an illustration of the category.

Dave: I for one welcome our new Valdespin Overlords. Was that a stretch? I don’t even care. I went there.

David: 1. That would have worked as well. 2. I wouldn’t take either away. What happens when you aren’t in the game shouldn’t reflect on the merits of your performance.

Todd
10 years ago

My fantasy team has both Votto and Cabrera. My overall slash line was about .350/.470. My ERA was just over 3.00, my WHIP was just under 1.15.

I lost 7-2-1.

Neil
10 years ago

Thanks as always John. Looks like the Jordan Zimmermann bit is linking to the wrong guy. The ace of the Nats has two “n”s in his name.

John Barten
10 years ago

Todd: Oof

Neil: That’s come up before. I’ll have to remember it when I run the article through the linking tool we use. There are at least a dozen or two dozen player names that cause problems like that. David Robertson and any Junior are problematic.