Let's Help Pelfrey

[Guest Edgy DC]

What exactly did he do tonight that he hasn't been doing much this year? Is it much like what he did the first half of 2010?

He didn't fan many, but he pounded the zone, low and on the corners. What I liked is that he stayed away from that breaking-ball-away-with-two-strikes garbage. It wastes too many pitches, it's not fooling anybody, and it just gives back his advantage. If he got ahead and wanted to get a guy to chase tonight, he went up and in --- not as part of machismo-drenched Howie Rose strategy, but just a good old climbing of the latter.

What did you see?

[Ceetar]

I was following along on gameday a little, but mostly distracted today. But over the last two starts at least, I've noticed a lot more groundballs. (no errors by the defense goes a long way too)

Credit Pelfrey for sticking to what worked, but also debit those Reds hitters constantly swinging at first pitches because that's what got Pelf through 9.

[Frayed Knot]

I saw that his highest pitch-count inning was 16.
That's often one of his lowest.
He even had two single-digit pitch innings.

[soupcan]

Reds helped him out by swinging at a lot of first pitches.

OE: that's what Ceetar said.

[TransMonk]

Frayed Knot wrote: I saw that his highest pitch-count inning was 16. That's often one of his lowest. He even had two single-digit pitch innings.

This. And I'll echo that the Reds helped him out and most teams don't.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Reds really playing like shit this week.

[TransMonk]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Reds really playing like shit this week.

Amazing to me that both teams started this series with the same record, but the Reds have looked so much worse.

The funny thing is, if things break right today, the Reds could end up just as far out of a playoff spot as the Mets are.