Two Games of LCS Pitching

Monday

Oct142013

Bill Chuck - Managing Editor |

Monday, October 14, 2013 at 10:50AM

The pitching in these League Championship Series has been remarkable and worth taking a deeper look.

2013 LCS pitching through two games

	IP	PA	P/PA	AB	H	XBH	HR	BB	K	AVG	BABIP	WHAV	ERA	WHIP
1. St. Louis Cardinals	22.0	85	4.09	76	14	3	0	7	24	.184	.269	.026	0.82	0.955
2. Los Angeles Dodgers	20.1	74	3.89	67	9	3	0	6	18	.134	.180	.000	1.33	0.738
3. Detroit Tigers	17.0	69	4.43	59	8	3	1	9	32	.136	.269	.017	2.65	1.000
4. Boston Red Sox	18.0	78	3.65	70	17	8	2	5	13	.243	.273	.072	3.00	1.222

Two broad strokes:

The Dodgers are one unlucky team, but the Cardinals are also pitching brilliantly.
The most significant number that might explain why Boston is tied in their LCS can be seen as they continue to do what they do best: work the pitcher. Their 4.43 pitches per plate appearance is significantly greater than any of the other three teams.

Let's go deeper by looking at the starting pitching

Clearly the Cardinals and Dodgers starters have been outstanding, but the Tigers starters have been even better. As we progress in this postseason, it would be fair to say that the Red Sox starters are the weakest of the four teams and the team's greatest weakness.

2013 LCS Starting pitching through two games

	IP	PA	P/PA	AB	H	XBH	HR	BB	K	AVG	BABIP	WHAV	ERA	WHIP
1. Detroit Tigers	13.0	50	4.48	41	2	1	0	8	25	.049	.125	.000	0.69	0.769
2. Los Angeles Dodgers	14.0	48	3.67	45	6	3	0	2	15	.133	.194	.000	1.29	0.571
3. St. Louis Cardinals	12.1	53	3.91	49	11	2	0	3	13	.224	.306	.041	1.42	1.105
4. Boston Red Sox	12.0	53	3.60	49	14	6	2	1	10	.286	.324	.083	4.50	1.250

2013 LCS Starters through two games

	IP	PA	P/PA	AB	H	XBH	HR	BB	K	AVG	BABIP	WHAV	ERA	WHIP
1. Anibal Sanchez (DET)	6.0	25	4.64	19	0	0	0	6	12	.000	.000	.000	0.00	1.000
2. Clayton Kershaw (LAD)	6.0	20	3.60	18	2	2	0	1	5	.111	.143	.000	0.00	0.500
3. Michael Wacha (STL)	6.1	26	4.31	25	5	1	0	1	8	.200	.294	.080	0.00	0.900
4. Max Scherzer (DET)	7.0	25	4.32	22	2	1	0	2	13	.091	.222	.000	1.29	0.571
5. Jon Lester (BOS)	6.0	27	4.04	24	6	1	0	1	4	.250	.300	.125	1.42	1.105
6. Zack Greinke (LAD)	8.0	28	3.71	27	4	1	0	1	10	.148	.235	.000	2.25	0.625
7. Joe Kelly (STL)	6.0	27	3.52	24	6	1	0	2	5	.250	.316	.000	3.00	1.333
8. Clay Buchholz (BOS)	5.1	26	3.15	25	8	5	2	0	6	.320	.353	.042	7.94	1.412

Let's go even deeper by looking at the bullpens

Tigers fans instead of bemoaning the fact that you are leaving Boston tied 1-1, you need to feel really happy you got out of Dodge with a win. The Red Sox have lit up the Detroit bullpen, barely escaping with a win in Game 1 and you saw what happened in Game 2.

2013 LCS Bullpen pitching through two games

	IP	PA	P/PA	AB	H	XBH	HR	BB	K	AVG	BABIP	WHAV	ERA	WHIP
1. Boston Red Sox	6.0	25	3.76	21	3	2	0	4	3	.143	.167	.048	0.00	1.167
2. St. Louis Cardinals	9.1	32	4.41	27	3	1	0	4	11	.111	.188	.000	0.00	0.750
3. Los Angeles Dodgers	6.0	26	4.31	22	3	0	0	4	3	.136	.158	.000	1.42	1.105
4. Detroit Tigers	4.0	19	4.32	18	6	2	1	1	7	.333	.500	.056	9.00	1.750

It's not just one Tigers reliever, it's all of them

You have to wonder if Jim Leyland is going to have the phone removed from the dugout

2013 LCS Tigers relief pitching through two games

	IP	PA	P/PA	AB	H	XBH	HR	BB	K	AVG	BABIP	WHAV	ERA	WHIP
1. Al Alburquerque	1.1	5	4.00	5	1	0	0	0	3	.200	.500	.000	6.75	0.750
2. Joaquin Benoit	1.1	6	5.00	6	2	1	1	0	2	.333	.333	.000	6.75	1.500
3. Jose Veras	1.0	4	2.50	4	1	1	0	0	2	.250	.500	.000	9.00	1.000
4. Drew Smyly	0.1	2	6.50	1	0	0	0	1	0	.000	.000	.000	27.00	3.000
5. Rick Porcello	0.0	2	4.50	2	2	0	0	0	0	1.000	1.000	.500	-	-