Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: This Scheme Won’t Work, AFL Wrap
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Arizona Fall League Wrapping Up
PITCHING FINISHING WELL / HITTING… NOT SO MUCH
One of the players we’ve hardly spoken about during AFL play – which finishes up tonight for the Braves’ participants – is Daniel Winkler.
Recall that Winkler will most likely be on the Braves Opening Day roster in 2016 due to being a Rule 5 draftee. He has thrown 9 innings in AFL play and pitched to a 3.00 ERA. Last night he finished up with 1 inning of work in which no one put the ball in play: 3 strikeouts, 1 walk. He’s K’d 11 in those 9 innings overall, giving up 5 hits (one a homer). Last night was probably his best outing, though walks have been a bit concerning: 5 of those along the way.
Still for someone seeing limited competition in the past year after a Tommy John rehab season, that’s very encouraging.
Lucas Sims (1.93 ERA) might get the last start this afternoon – he hasn’t pitched in a week now. Since giving up 3 runs (2 earned) via a Gary Sanchez homer in his first AFL inning, he’s almost been ‘lights-out’: 12 innings since with 1 more earned run, 2 walks, 12 K, and 7 hits allowed. That’s not bad at all. Sims got hit a bit in the Stars game (not counted in those stats), but wasn’t helped by a misplay in the outfield either.
Mauricio Cabrera has been wowing people with consistent 100-103 numbers on the radar gun, but has walked 5 in 10.1 innings. That’s clearly his issue, but unlike Sims, hasn’t harnessed the fastball’s direction enough yet. Cabrera has brought his ERA down to 6.97, allowing 11 runs/8 earned. He’s got the stuff, but it’s still too wild and too hittable when not.
Andrew Thurman has had a rough go in 11 innings (10.64 ERA), though it has been either feast or famine with him. Every other outing has been good, it seems. The last one (on Nov 14) was for 2 innings of 1 hit, 1 walk, 2 K ball. So if that was his last foray in the desert, then it was a strong finish. That ERA was hurt badly due to early trouble: a 6 earned run/1 out stint during the second week of the league. Throw that out and it’s 7 earned in 11 innings… more respectable, at least.
Next: John Hart Said Yesterday 'He'll learn'...
There are only 4 hitters on the Peoria Javalinas squad hitting above .250. Last night, the team only recorded two hits in the game… and no runs in their loss. One of those hits came from C Joseph Odom, who raised his average to… .133 over 9 games. OF Connor Lien? .164. SS Johan Camargo? .207. It’s not been pretty for the hitters out in the desert.