Knuckle Curve » scott kazmir

Angels Set Pitching Rotation Versus Yankees

Stephen Kersey — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:55:29 +0000

The Los Angeles Angels now know their starting pitchers for the first four games of their series against the New York Yankees. On Wednesday, manager Mike Scioscia said that John Lackey will pitch Game 1, Joe Saunders will pitch Game 2, Jered Weaver will pitch Game 3 and Scott Kazmir will pitch Game 4.

Lackey will face a lot of pressure in Game 1. If the Angels want to advance to the 2009 World Series, they will need to quiet the confidence that the Yankees currently hold. To do so, Los Angeles really needs to win the first game of the series.

On the season, Lackey was 11-8 with a 3.83 ERA. Since breaking into the big leagues in 2002 with the Angels, the righty has won at least nine contests each season.

As for the Yankees, they will likely go with a three-man rotation of C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte. It’ll be interesting to see if the Angels and their depth at starting pitcher becomes an advantage or if the Yankees can dominate with the three-man staff.

John Lackey - Los Angeles Angels (Image: Zuma Press)

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Scott Kazmir Traded to Los Angeles Angels

Stephen Kersey — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:46:19 +0000

Scott Kazmir, a starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays, will be traded to the Los Angeles Angels — according to numerous online reports including one on MLB.com. In return, the Rays will reportedly receive minor leaguers Matthew Sweeney and Alexander Torres.

Prior to the 2009 baseball season, Kazmir signed a three-year deal worth $28.5 million. However, he has underperformed this year for Tampa Bay. In 20 starts, he has an ERA of 5.92 ERA and a record of 8-7.

Despite his poor season, the Angels can use all the help they can get in their starting rotation. Dealing with a variety of problems this year, the Angels have a starting unit that has one of the worst ERAs in baseball. If Kazmir can regain his form of the last few years, the Angels can vastly improve their chances down the stretch of the season.

As it stands, the Angels are 75-51 and have a 4-game lead in the AL West over the Texas Rangers. Given the fact that they have the most potent lineup in baseball this season, fixing their pitching could make the Angels the team to beat in the American League.

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Tampa Bay Rays Dealing with Five Injuries

Stephen Kersey — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:05:10 +0000

Last year, the Tampa Bays Rays made an improbable run to the 2008 World Series. This year, the Rays are dealing with five different injuries to key players.

Akinori Iwamura, Second Baseman
This weekend, Akinori Iwamura was when trying to turn a double-play. Tests showed that he tore an ACL and the native of Japan will be forced to miss the rest of the season.

Troy Percival, Closer
Due to tendinitis, Troy Percival could very well have thrown his final pitch in the major leagues. While he hasn’t made an announcement, many sources close to the team think that he could be at the end of the line.

Scott Kazmir, Starting Pitcher
Scott Kazmir is currently on the 15-day DL with a right quadriceps strain. While he’s scheduled to be available to come off the DL soon, the team seems to think that Kazmir will need a while longer to get his arm right.

Pat Burrell, Designated Hitter
Dealing with a stiff neck, Pat Burrell will likely be out at least another week. If his neck doesn’t start to loosen, he may have to get further tests to see if there are more reasons for his pain.

Jason Bartlett, Shortstop
After getting off to an amazing start this season, Jason Bartlett is the latest casualty for the Rays. The shortstop who is hitting .373 with seven homers and 30 RBIs sprained his ankle and was placed on the disabled list.

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Phillies Pound Rays in Game 4 of World Series

Stephen Kersey — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:14:17 +0000

Ryan Howard showed in Game 4 why he is such a feared hitter.

The Philadelphia Phillies, after their 10-2 win, are now one win away from winning the 2008 World Series and being declared the 2008 baseball champions. Leading in the series 2-1 coming into Game 4, the Phillies dominated in Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead in the best out of seven series.

The big star on Sunday night was none other than Ryan Howard, the slugging first baseman for the Phillies. Howard hit two home runs and finished the game 3-4 with walk and five RBIs.

Howard wasn’t the only hitting star for the Phillies on this night. Right fielder Jayson Werth had a home run of his own. Starting pitcher Joe Blanton was not only dominant on the mound, he also helped his own cause by hitting a home run in the fifth inning. On the mound, Blanton went six innings and gave up two runs while striking out seven batters.

The Rays could never get things going. Their only two runs of the game were courtesy of solo homers by Carl Crawford and Eric Hinske. Starting pitcher Andy Sonnanstine struggled, but he wasn’t alone. All four pitchers who pitched for Tampa Bay gave up at least one run.

The Phillies will go for the 2008 World Series championship on Monday. The Rays, on the other hand, will try to win the game and send the series back to Tampa Bay. The pitchers in Game 5 will be Scott Kazmir for the Rays and Cole Hamels for the Phillies. Game 5 of the World Series starts at 8PM eastern and will be shown on Fox.

Photo: Newscom

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Evan Longoria Hits Two Homers in Postseason Debut

Stephen Kersey — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:27:48 +0000

Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays is known as a big-time baseball talent (and that guy whose name sounds like he may be Eva’s twin brother). In the first game of his postseason life, Longoria hit two homers to lead the Rays to a 6-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

Longoria finished the game 3-for-3 with a walk, two runs, three RBIs and those two home runs. His homers came in the second and third inning against White Sox pitcher Javier Vazquez.

The pitching star for the Rays, who are in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, was James Shields. In 6.1 innings, Shields gave up three earned runs and four strikeouts.

The Rays will look to take a 2-0 lead in the series in Game 2 on Friday at 6PM EST. Pitching for the Rays will be Scott Kazmir, while Mark Buehrle for the White Sox.

Here is an Evan Longoria video interview following his Game 1 heroics on Thursday:

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New York Yankees in Last Place – Solutions?

Stephen Kersey — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:24:20 +0000

The Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees on Thursday to send the Yankees into last place. The Rays won the game 5-2 behind a strong pitching performance from Scott Kazmir and a two-run homerun by backup catcher Shawn Riggans.

The Yankees are now 20-22 and in last place in the AL East. The Rays, with a record of 24-17, are in first place.

How can the Yankees turn save their season?

1. Get Healthy
The Yankees are dealing with a number of injuries at the moment. Most prominently, the team is without Hall of Fame third baseman Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez has a strained quadriceps that has kept him out of the lineup for the entire month of May. In that time, Rodriguez has only been seen choking in the delivery room. Besides Rodriguez, veteran catcher Jorge Posada and young starter Phil Hughes are also battling injuries. Posada has a shoulder injury, while Hughes has a broken rib.

2. Get Hitting
The Bronx Bombers are more like the Bronx Bunters this year. No player on the team is having that great of a season at the plate. Jason Giambi leads the team with seven homeruns – but he also has a batting average of .184. Veterans like Bobby Abreu and Derek Jeter are having decent but not great seasons. Young players like Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera haven’t lived up to their potential. The Yankees need a hot bat to emerge.

3. Get Pitching Depth
Chien-Ming Wang has been very good for the Yankees this year. Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte have had their ups and downs but overall they have been good enough. The problem is the rest of the rotation is in shambles. The Yankees were hoping that Hughes and Ian Kennedy could be the other two starts, but Hughes is hurt and Kennedy has been ineffective. Whether it’s a trade or a young pitcher stepping up, the Yankees need a more balanced rotation.

4. Get Torre?
While the Yankees are struggling, Joe Torre has the Los Angeles Dodgers at 21-19. Could the Yankees be showing signs of missing Torre? Perhaps. George Steinbrenner and his twin son Hank Steinbrenner won’t give current manager Joe Girardi as much leeway as they gave Torre. If the Yankees don’t turn it around ASAP, Girardi might be sent packing.

Does Joe Girardi Hear Joe Torre’s Footsteps?

Photo: Newscom

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