THT Awards

Welcome to the awards.

All stats are for Monday, September 17th through Sunday, September 23rd. Please see the week one column for award definitions and explanations.

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

Good luck division

Wade Miley allowed five runs in six innings on 10 hits in Denver. He walked away with the victory as his bullpen held the Rockies scoreless for three frames and the lineup abused Rockies pitchers to the tune of 15 runs.

Chris Rusin was shelled for five runs in five innings but was let off the hook when his Cubs teammates scored off of J.J. Hoover to tie the game they would go on to lose.

Mike Fiers and Wandy Rodriguez combined to allow seven runs in seven frames but neither took the loss as the teams battled back and forth, removing both starters from the quest for a decision.

Neither Travis Blackley nor Ivan Nova made it out of the third inning before getting pulled. They posted game scores of 34 and 35. Neither took the loss in a game that went 14 innings.

In Aaron Cook’s second start of the week, he was hammered by the Orioles for five runs in five and a third. He yielded nine hits, walked two, struck out one, and carried a 29 game score. But a Pedro Strop blown save took Cook off the hook for the loss.

Patrick Corbin allowed five runs in three frames. He benefitted from Jhoulys Chacin and Carlos Torres combining to allow eight and hand the Diamondbacks a victory, thus ensuring that Corbin would not get the loss.

A.J. Griffin allowed four Yankee runs in four and a third. Shortly after he left the game, Hiroki Kuroda allowed more runs than he already had allowed and Griffin eked out a no-decision.

Bad luck division

Nate Eovaldi tossed eight scoreless innings for Miami, striking out five, walking two. He got a no-decision as the Marlins bullpen blew the lead in the ninth.

After Matt Harvey allowed only one run in seven innings, walking one, striking out seven, a Josh Edgin blown hold cost him the win.

Jarrod Parker and CC Sabathia combined to allow one run in 16 innings on nine hits and two walks, striking out 18. Neither got the win as Rafael Soriano blew the save. The starters combined game score was 158.

Matt Harrison allowed only one run in eight innings of work and still took the loss as the Mariners shut out Harrison’s Rangers.

A Hardball Times Update
Goodbye for now.

Edwin Jackson went eight frames, holding the Brewers to one run on six hits, walking none, striking out six. A Tyler Clippard blown save lost the game for the Nationals and ensured that Jackson would be denied the victory.

Joe Saunders and Felix Hernandez combined to allow two runs in 16 innings of work. They allowed only 11 hits, walking one, striking out 10. Neither took the victory, which went to Luis Ayala, who faced one batter in the 10th inning.

Bronson Arroyo threw eight innings, allowing one run to the Dodgers on six hits, walking none, striking out four. He received no decision.

An Andrew Bailey implosion cost Clay Buchholz the victory after Buchholz tossed seven scoreless in Saint Pete.

Zack Greinke threw eight innings, allowing one run on five hits, walking none, striking out eight. But the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Oxnard, Saticoy, and Newbury Park were held to one run in the game and Greinke walked away with a no-decision.

Felix Doubront went seven innings, allowed only one run on four hits, walked two, struck out 11 and still got a no-decision against the Orioles.

Cliff Lee allowed only two runs in eight innings on nine hits, walking none, striking out 11 Atlanta batters. He took the loss as Tim Hudson and a pair of relievers held the Phillies to one run.

Vulture Award

Ronald Belisario was called upon with a two run lead and one out with two runners on. He allowed the two runners to score, thus blowing the lead, only to watch as Matt Kemp belted a home run in the next inning to give Belisario the win.

Wes Littleton Award

Jason Motte got the save in a game the Cardinals won by five runs. The two batters he had to retire were Chris Snyder and Jimmy Paredes.

Joel Hanrahan’s 36th save came at Wrigley where he protected a three run lead by retiring Darwin Barney, Dave Sappelt, and Luis Valbuena.

With the Blue Jays lineup well beyond banged up, David Robertson retired Moises Sierra, Kelly Johnson, and J.P. Arencibia to record the three-run save.

Please hold the applause

In the Nate Eovaldi game from Tuesday, Steve Cishek retired one batter and was charged with three runs. Upon entering with a three run lead, he allowed a Jason Heyward double, walked Chipper Jones, and struck out Freddy Freeman before Heyward scored on a Dan Uggla single. He left the game with a two run lead and runners on the corner. According to WPA, he decreased the Marlins’ chance of winning by 14 percent but he still got the hold.

Chad Qualls allowed three runs and recorded one out against the Brewers. He got the hold.

Any sufficiently advanced defense is indistinguishable from pitching

In Aaron Cook’s first start of the week, he walked away with a win when he allowed just one run in six innings. He allowed only five hits despite striking out only one of the 22 Rays he faced.

Blake Beavan pitched the first seven innings of Seattle’s shutout of the Rangers on Saturday. He only struck out two of the 27 batters he faced yet only was punished with eight hits.

Joe Carter Award

Delmon Young drove in eight runs in 28 PA despite batting just .222/.241/.370 for the Tigers.

Mark Reynolds went .226/.250/.355 and still plated six runs.

Torii Hunter and Hanley Ramirez each had six total bases and five RBI.

Sanchez Award

A.J. Pierzynski collected seven hits in 24 PA, but only two of them went for extra bases and he drew no walks, leading to a .292/.292/.375 line for the week.

Denard Span produced a fairly empty .280/.308/.400 line.

And Chris Iannetta went .278/.316/.278.

Harmon Killebrew Award

Miguel Olivo had only three hits in 16 PA this week but two of them were home runs. He also chipped in with three walks for a .231/.375/.692 line.

Jimmy Rollins had two singles, two home runs, and five walks for an odd-looking but effective .190/.346/.476 line.

Gordon Beckham went .235/.435/.412 and stole a pair of bases.

Three of Chase Headley’s five hits went for extra bases and he walked four times for a .227/.346/.455 line.

Rookie Adam Eaton went .200/.355/.600. Amazingly, he had one single, two triples, and two home runs. You don’t often see speed result in multiple triples, but only one single.

Steve Balboni Award

Adam Dunn just does what Adam Dunn does. When it works, he ends up with the Killebrew section. When it works really well, he ends up in the MVP of the week section. When it doesn’t work, he ends up here. He struck out 10 times in 29 PA and hit .115/.207/.154.

Curtis Granderson fanned nine times in 23 PA and ended the week at .105/.240/.158.

Michael Bourn struck out nine times in 23 PA. His line was an anemic .190/.261/.286.

Amazingly, Kelly Shoppach wound up striking out eight times in 15 PA and batted .143/.200/.143.

Chris Carter demonstrated secondary skills, hitting a home run and drawing three walks, but eight strikeouts in 16 PA is tough to overcome, leading to a .077/.235/.308 line.

Finally, J.P. Arencibia went .063/.118/.063 with eight whiffs in 17 PA.

Other batters who notably struck out at appalling rates and suffered the consequences this week were Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Pedro Alvarez, Alex Rodriguez, Freddie Freeman, Colby Rasmus, Tyler Colvin, and John Mayberry Jr.

Three true outcomes

Michael Saunders smacked two home runs, walked four times, and struck out nine times in 26 PA.

Rollins went two-five-six in 26 PA.

Nick Swisher posted a two-five-six TTO line in 29 PA.

And Adam Eaton went two-five-seven in 30 PA.

The anti-TTO

Kyle Seager did not homer, drew one walk, and struck out twice in 28 PA.

Jason Kipnis also went zero-one-two in 26 PA.

And Jesus Montero went zero-zero-three in 25 PA.

This week’s MVP

AL: What has gotten into Ichiro? He is batting .331/.356/.481 since the trade to the Bronx, good for a 125 OPS+. And this week he went .517/.548/.828 with an eight for eight on the base paths and a pair of home runs. 15 hits in a week is pretty crazy. Unfortunately I don’t have answers. I only have questions here.

NL: Pablo Sandoval only had 11 hits this week, but four of them were home runs, helping him to a .478/.538/1/.043 line for the Giants, who clinched the NL West title this week.


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Nickolai
11 years ago

No love for the HUGE game from Pat Neshek vs. the Tigers on the 20th?

The guy sails into the game in the bottom of the 5th with 2 outs, records a GARGANTUAN clutch out on 2 pitches against future Hall-of-Famer AVISAIL GARCIA, “earning” the win in what ended up being a 12-4 nail-biter.

Not sure what category (“Hold your Applause” sounds right), but this has to be a THT Award Winner for the whole season, much less just this past week.

Ian R.
11 years ago

I’d place Neshek’s win in the good luck division, but that’s a good catch.

John M Barten
11 years ago

That is a good catch. I don’t really have a category tailored for that kinid of circumstance, but it probably does deserve to be mentioned.

I used to include that kind of event in the vulture category given that this is a reliever who just lucked into a win without being in a particularly high leverage situation or pitching any kind of extended appearance. But in recent years I have used Vulture almost exclusively to describe the blown save/win.

Thanks.