Curveballs for Jobu 4/28/11

Curveballs for Jobu is Offbasepercentage's daily trip around the ballparks.

Today's honorary bat boy is Steve Lake.


[Lake autographed 1987 Topps. Estimated value: 6 thumb tacks]


[Lake 1991 Studio posing with parrot]


CFJ Note: Jobu took a few days off while MTD discovered the true meaning of April 27.


Yankees 3, Whitesox 1. I feel like an alcoholic uncle sometimes at Jobu: apologizing/asking for forgiveness, showing up to Thanksgiving with my belt out of three of the belt loops. I've done it with players I thought had passed away, or were working at Chevron stations. Even said sorry to Troy Glaus one time. My latest apology goes out to Bartolo Colon. In the AL East preview story, I said if Colon made more than 10 appearances I would eat one of my socks. Colon is halfway there. Wednesday, the righty tossed eight innings of one-run ball and won his second game in as many starts. In 26 innings, Colon has struck out 26 and walked just six and has looked unhittable at times, which begs the question: is he the Yankees best pitcher through the first month of the season? Let me repeat that question in bigger letters, while adding a few words and an exclamation point:

IS BARTOLO COLON THE YANKEES BEST PITCHER IN 2011?!

Braves 7, Padres 0. Tommy Hanson confirmed some information for all of us: the Padres smell like old cheese. Hanson struck out 10 and allowed four singles in seven shut out innings, dropping the Bevacquas to 9-16. San Diego has been shut out seven times and scored 10 runs during its seven-game home stand. Seven!

Dodgers 5, Marlins 4 (10). In LA's second game of the season against the Giants, Andre Ethier went 0-for-4. Since, Ethier has hit in 24 consecutive games after his tenth-inning home run broke the hearts of 17 people in Miami.

Indians 7, Royals 2. And that sound you heard was the Kansas City Royals coming back to the .500 mark, and that sound you will soon hear will be the Kansas City Royals going under .500. Meanwhile, the Tribe are channeling the ghosts of Rachel Phelps, moving to 15-8, three games up on KC and the Tigers in the AL Central, which is beginning to look a lot like the Roswell, GA 25+ Adult Softball D League when Ruso's Renegades won it with a 5-6 record. One other item of note: formerly awful hitter Jeff Francoeur hit his fifth home run and is hitting .330 with a .370 on-base percentage.

Mets 6, Nationals 3. Brian Bixler: run scored.

Cardinals 6, Astros 5. Just what in the name of RBI Baseball-John Tudor is going on in St. Louis? Kyle Lohse threw another seven shut out innings and is 4-1. Lohse led 6-0 when he exited, but Ryan Franklin (10.13 ERA) was Simply Irabuian, allowing two runs without getting an out and three more relievers surrendered three runs in the eighth and ninth. Let's get an Astros fan's opinion of the loss:

Rockies at Cubs ppd Tom Goodwin



Other games, but down here....

Athletics 2, Angels 1 (10)
Pirates 2, Giants 0
Rangers 7, Bluejays 6
Mariners 10, Tigers 1
Orioles 5, Redsox 4
Reds 7, Brewers 6 (10)
Phillies 8, Diamondbacks 4
Devilrays 8, Twins 2

Curveballs for Jobu

Curveballs for Jobu is Off Base Percentage's daily trip around the ballparks.

Today's honorary bat boy: Chico Salmon



Rockies 5, Twins 1. Ubaldo Jimenez's 2010 campaign is bringing back fond memories of RBI Baseball-John Tudor. Like Tudor, Jimenez throws a variety of nasty pitches, including the wobbly pitch that rolls off the screen and the outside fastball that the computer always swings at. Jimenez moved to 13-1 and lowered his ERA to 1.15 with eight innings of one-run ball Thursday. All that's left for the Colorado right-hander is to get into the ninth inning when his velocity is down to 35 M.P.H. and get out pinch hitter Bill Madlock.

Reds 7, Dodgers 1. Cincy avoided a sweep thanks to Bronson Arroyo, who allowed an earned run in seven innings, helped start three double plays, hit a three-run home run and even found Dusty Baker's toothpick.




Tigers 8, Nationals 3. A week ago, Detroit had lost consecutive series to the Royals and Whitesox, which is the equivalent of losing four of six to the Chico's Bail Bonds Bears, pre-Kelly Leak. Since, the Tigers have won six straight, including Jeremy Bonderman's seven Ks and two hits in seven innings that finished a sweep of Washington. Ramon Santiago, who had just six hits in June, picked up his first four-hit day since last May 17.

Royals 5, Astros 2. Somebody break up the Royals, because they've won five of seven. That's all I've got.