Tampa is no South Beach. His Wade-in-crime (Davis) isn’t quite as stellar. But James Shields is looking a lot more Kingly than LeBron these days. Facing the red-hot Red Sox (9 straight wins @ 9+ runs scored per game), Shields threw a 5-hit, 3-walk shutout. That’s Shields’ 6th win with a 2.60 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and 98 Ks in 103.2 IP. His ERA is almost half of last year’s 5.18 debacle. Sure, he’s playing slightly above the talents he brought to Tampa (.269 BABIP, 82% strand rate) but his peripherals (K/BB) are as solid as anyone in the AL (including Verlander). Hold him if you got ‘em. Be confident to trade for him if you don’t. Just watch out when he starts against the Tigers – that Dirks is clutch.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Philip Hughes
The walks weren’t really an issue when Francisco Liriano was striking out twenty-seven guys a game. He walked to the mound and you knew you were getting 10 Ks. Maybe nothing else. But you got ten Ks. Even if he faced only nine batters. The scorer would give him an extra one just because he was Francisco Liriano. His numbers since Frank Jobe surgery are disturbing. Disturbing like one of those Discovery Channel shows where they show plastic surgery gone wrong. Liriano’s throwing his slider less (his old strikeout pitch) and chucking up salamis, pitch after pitch. Could he be laying off the slider because of the surgery? My guess is yes. *pointing my index finger at you* That is my guess. He looked like he turned a corner when we hit May and K’d nine Tigers. Could it be the old Liriano, you pondered while nestled in your woobie. Alas, it was not. The old Liriano’s in a medical waste bin outside Dr.
Please, blog, may I have some more?
