Pitching Plaudits: K Street appreciation thread

[KnorrForYourMoney]

I'm (and I'd guess a lot of people here are) getting spoiled by this starting pitching.  I've just come to expect quality starts.  These guys are awesome.

The bullpen needs improvement (outside of Stammen and Burnett).  If they can get it together, the sky's the limit for this team.

[wpa2629]

I'm (and I'd guess a lot of people here are) getting spoiled by this starting pitching.  I've just come to expect quality starts.  These guys are awesome.

The bullpen needs improvement (outside of Stammen and Burnett).  If they can get it together, the sky's the limit for this team.

Bullpen just needs to get healthy

[Baseball is Life]

Bullpen just needs to get healthy

Having Storen back will put everybody back in their proper roles. Besides blowing saves, losing your closer starts a whole domino effect...

But he ain't coming back until the ASB.

[Slateman]

Jackson has been pretty good so far this season. 5 of his 9 starts have been Quality Starts. Only two of his starts have been really bad.

[PC]

Nats pen ailing, still mighty

12:39PM ET

The Washington Nationals are off to a fine start at 29-21 and in first place in the NL East. That they've been so good despite several injuries to their bullpen is even more impressive.

Closer Drew Storen has been out all season and is playing catch at the team's spring training site, hoping to return around the All-Star break.

Fill-in closer Brad Lidge, out with a hernia, is throwing to hitters in Florida and could be back by mid-June.

And Henry Rodriguez, the fill-in for the fill-in, recently slammed his finger in a door, putting him on the shelf temporarily.

Until those three make it back, much of the load will continue to fall on the right arm of Tyler Clippard, who has been one of baseball's best setup man the past three seasons. Clippard has posted a 2.91 ERA and 1.06 WHIP and has earned a save in each of his past three appearances.

Aside from Clippard, the relief corps that has been holding down the fort includes Craig Stammen (1.65 ERA), Sean Burnett (0.61), Tom Gorzelanny (3.51) and Ryan Mattheus (2.25), who is nearing a return from his own injury (plantar fasciitis).

- Jason Catania

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/features/rumors/_/id/13207

[Tyler Durden]

I thought K Street was just the starting rotation?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

think you are right, Tyler.  I could change the title, but it would ruin the alliteration.

[Tyler Durden]

Sterling Starters?  Rambunctious rotation?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Roarin Storin, Nats2Playoffs, or NotLD need to take some of the art from "Yellow Submarine" and photoshop in pictures or cartoons of the front four of the rotation (Jackson included).  For Yellow Submarine Horn, Strasburg would be John and Gio Paul, because John played righty and Paul played lefty. JZ would be George, because he's great and could lead almost any band of pitchers but is not quite at the level of Stras and Gio, and Jackson would be Ringo, competent artist, capable of a some very good performances, but not to be mistaken for the lead of the band.

Alternatively, you could do some sort of late Beatles Let It Be type cover, again with the Fab Four, and with the battle for the 5th Beatle featuring Detwiler as Billy Preston, CMW as Eric Clapton (sat in on "While My Guitar Gently Sleeps") and John Lannan as Pete Best, the guy who played with the Beatles before they broke through.

[mimontero88]

Roarin Storin, Nats2Playoffs, or NotLD need to take some of the art from "Yellow Submarine" and photoshop in pictures or cartoons of the front four of the rotation (Jackson included).  For Yellow Submarine Horn, Strasburg would be John and Gio Paul, because John played righty and Paul played lefty. JZ would be George, because he's great and could lead almost any band of pitchers but is not quite at the level of Stras and Gio, and Jackson would be Ringo, competent artist, capable of a some very good performances, but not to be mistaken for the lead of the band.

Alternatively, you could do some sort of late Beatles Let It Be type cover, again with the Fab Four, and with the battle for the 5th Beatle featuring Detwiler as Billy Preston, CMW as Eric Clapton (sat in on "While My Guitar Gently Sleeps") and John Lannan as Pete Best, the guy who played with the Beatles before they broke through.

I stopped reading when you implied that Paul McCartney > George Harrison.

[houston-nat]

I stopped reading when you implied that Paul McCartney > George Harrison.

Aw, c'mon, like it's easy to choose one of the 4-5 greatest songwriters of the century over another.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I stopped reading when you implied that Paul McCartney > George Harrison.

I'm sort of quoting George Martin.  Most bands prior to the Beatles had a single lead, and I remember in one of these Beatles documentaries Martin saying pretty much the same thing about Harrison, and then talking about trying to decide between John and Paul.  Finally said, why not both and alternate? 

Being both a JZ and and a Harrison fan I thought the comparison worked.  In terms of hype, right now Gio is getting much more notice and making the bigger run at the Cy.  He's more quotable and more the one of the two faces of the rotation.  I think the analogy works, even if we both think Harrison was underrated.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

One song would certainly be "All You Need is Glove," about Rick Ankiel (RZ needs to hit).

[wpa2629]

MLB Stat of the Day ‏@MLBStatoftheDay

9 times this season a @Nationals starter has finished his day with at least 6 innings and no runs allowed.

[zimm_da_kid]

MLB Stat of the Day ‏@MLBStatoftheDay

9 times this season a @Nationals starter has finished his day with at least 6 innings and no runs allowed.

and yet, no shutouts

[wpa2629]

and yet, no shutouts

Nats have 4 shutouts

[zimm_da_kid]

Nats have 4 shutouts

I meant by a starter

[wpa2629]

I meant by a starter

Edwin Jackson has a complete game shutout, Strasburg just got a shutout against the Braves on Saturday, and doesn't Gio have the other 2 shutouts?

[Mathguy]

Edwin Jackson pitched a 2 hitter at a game I attended

I meant by a starter

[JCA-CrystalCity]

WPA - a starter only gets credit for a shutout when the starter gets a complete game.

[wpa2629]

WPA - a starter only gets credit for a shutout when the starter gets a complete game.

Ah

Many thanks for the clarification

Then the Nats have 1

[mimontero88]

I'm sort of quoting George Martin.  Most bands prior to the Beatles had a single lead, and I remember in one of these Beatles documentaries Martin saying pretty much the same thing about Harrison, and then talking about trying to decide between John and Paul.  Finally said, why not both and alternate? 

Being both a JZ and and a Harrison fan I thought the comparison worked.  In terms of hype, right now Gio is getting much more notice and making the bigger run at the Cy.  He's more quotable and more the one of the two faces of the rotation.  I think the analogy works, even if we both think Harrison was underrated.

It definitely works.  Was just needling ya

[zimm_da_kid]

Edwin Jackson has a complete game shutout, Strasburg just got a shutout against the Braves on Saturday, and doesn't Gio have the other 2 shutouts?

i was meant CG shutouts.  and i forgot about edwin's- my bad.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

bump.

considering how each starter seems to get an appreciation thread, maybe it is time to resurrect the nickname.

[wpa2629]

Amanda Comak ‏@acomak

RT @nationalspr: With Gio's bomb, #Nationals pitchers now lead or are tied for MLB lead in AVG, HR, hits, XBH and RBI among pitchers.