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L.A. Angels -103 over L.A. Dodgers is my play of the evening
I've been following, and been a fan of tonight's Angel starter Garrett Richards since he was pitching for the Oklahoma Sooners in the college World Series in 2009.
Richards was 32-10 in four years of minor league ball, all with the Angels organization, (first round supplemental pick) with a 3.31 ERA and 1.24 WH/IP ratio.
Last season, his first in the show, Richard's was used in seven games, spot starting in three for Weaver when he was DL'ed.
Now don't let the 7 game ERA and WH/IP numbers fool you from last season, Richards major league debut was an emergency start for Weaver, against the Yankees, in the big ball orchard in the South Bronx, where he went five innings giving up six earned. Real bad case of the major league rookie debut nerves. Hell, I know six year seasoned vets that crap themselves when they have to face that line up, in that environment in NYC.
Concentrate on what Richards did in his last six games, was sterling in relief, spot started late September against Texas and was sharp giving up 1 earned while taking the loss. Throw away the rocky debut start at Yankee Stadium, his ERA is 3.00 for 2011, not 5 +.
Trust me, I'm not trying to sell this kid on you, he's got three plus/plus pitches, he's a *smoke monster* sports two +/+ fastballs, has touched 100mph on the slow gun, averages out about 94/95 depending on what seam heater he throws. Has a nasty slider, average curve he uses as a fourth pitch.
For a flame thrower Richards is uber-efficient, in the Texas league he averaged 13.5 pitches per inning. Nobody is that efficient.
Will go right at you if he's 0-2 in the count, will not waste a pitch, his motto "time is valuable".
Has terrific command for a raw rookie. Know how to 'pitch' keeps the ball down, as his minor league ground ball to fly ball ratio indicates.
Check out Richards start last week against the M's
7 IP, 4 Hits, 8 K's, 1 Earned
So: what we have here isa pitch efficient, good control, two fastballs (both plus pitches), along with a change, curve and slider, strong ground ball rate, strikeouts that come in bunchessmart kid that knows how to pitch against a Dodger line up without Kemp that is just ordinary.
Now I know what you are probably saying, but Nashy, it's Cappy going for the Dodgers and it's in Dodger Stadium, you sure about this?
Yes, I am.
Nobody is disrespecting Capuano and his 8-2 record his 2.82 ERA and his fancy 1.08 WH/IP ratio.
Look at his Cappy's last two starts, to be honest, they stunk, and I'm convinced the mystery is solved (if there ever was a mystery to begin with)
He got a ugly win last start going only five full, giving up 4 earned on three moon shot homers.
Start before that, against the Rocks, he went 5.1 innings, yielding 7 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits in that 13-3 Rockie ass kicking.
Not to mention, the Angel line up has the sticks to handle the stuff Cappy offers, Angels bats tonight will not be confused.
Here's further proof.
Pujols and Cappy are not strangers, when Pujols was in the NL all those years with the Cards, Albert has faced him 33 times (38 if you include 5 walks)
Pujols is 18 for 33 lifetime v. Capuano that's .545, get this, FIVE homers, 12 RBI's.
Bet Big Albert is drooling to face him tonight.
(By the way, have you seen the way Albert has been swinging the bat the last 10 games, can you say 2008 Cards?)
Torji Hunter is 7 for 15 with a homer, 5 driven in against Cappy.
Rest of the line up has only faced him 5 times or less, only one hitless in that group is Aybar, but since when has Aybar ever been a force?
One more time:
What we have here isa pitch efficient (Richards), good control, two fastballs (both plus pitches), along with a change, curve and slider, strong ground ball rate, strikeouts that come in bunchessmart kid that knows how to pitch against a Dodger line up without Kemp that is just ordinary, going against, and at the end of the day (I hate that expression by the way) a journey man (65-66, 4.26, 1.34 WH/IP ratio lifetime) #3 at best type starter who's main power source (Kemp) is out of the batting order.
One last thing.
Ask yourself this?
If the L.A. Dodgers are the world beating 39-22 first place, 21-9 at home force that they are, why are they only a man-to-man pick 'em in this game?
Hmmm.
Straight Wager
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MLB[957] LA ANGELS
Action-103 $361.00 $350.00
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Originally Posted by sweethook
