From the blog that has attempted to bring you The Gentleman Masher and Nick Magic comes a proposed nickname for John Danks.
The Nutcracker.
Two reasons:
No. 1: He's neutered hitters in three of his four starts this year, and after
seven shutout innings against the Rays Sunday, he has the following going for him (all of which are nice):
- He's gone seven innings in back-to-back starts, a first for him.
- He hasn't allowed a run in 14 2/3 innings, by far a career-high.
- He hasn't allowed a homer in 23 2/3 innings; in 2007, he never pitched consecutive homerless outings.
No. 2: His face is, like, 60 percent chin. I thought that was the one area in which Brian Anderson led the team, but now I'm not so sure.
It could work -- hell, it's an obvious promotion day (bobbleheads are passé). But whether or not you want to call him "The Nutcracker," you have to call him "good." It's hard to say whether Brandon McCarthy would still be suffering the same injury issues with the Sox's top-notch medical staff, but every quality Danks start makes that trade look increasingly like a steal. Even if Nick Magic never holds up his end of the bargain.
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If they continue this pace...Nick Swisher: Will draw 153 walks, which would put him only behind a couple schlubs named Babe Ruth and Ted Williams on
the American League single-season list. Sunday's game was the first time this season he'd walked twice in a game, but he had walked thrice in three games already.
Jim Thome: Will drive in 152 runs despite batting .222. The lowest batting average for somebody who drove in 152 runs?
Vern Stephens, who hit .290 while driving in 159 runs in 1949.
Carlos Quentin and Paul Konerko: Will be hit by 30 pitches, which would be second in American League history behind
Don Baylor, who was hit by 34 pitches in 1986.
Gavin Floyd: Will allow only 81 hits over 171 innings.
Juan Uribe: Will walk 45 times.
Of all these, I actually think Quentin has more than a snowball's chance of surpassing his projections. Mark Gonzalez wrote a sidebar on
Quentin's propensity to be plunked.
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Minor league roundup:- West Tenn 3, Birmingham 2
- Ricardo Nanita went 3-for-4 with two doubles, amounting for half Birmingham's hits.
- Kyle McCulloch threw a quality start, allowing two runs on four hits over six innings. Good news: He induced 12 groundouts to one flyout. Bad news: He walked as many as he struck out (four).
- John Lujan took his first loss of the year, allowing a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the eighth.
- Winston-Salem 3, Frederick 2
- Aaron Poreda allowed eight hits over 5 1/3 innings, but managed to only allow two runs. He walked none and struck out four. Fellow 2007 first-round pick Matt Wieters (fifth overall) doubled off him twice.
- Brandon Allen and Anderson Gomes provided all the scoring with homers in the sixth inning -- Gomes' was a two-run shot.
- Israel Chirino (1 2/3 IP) and Ryan Rote (2 IP), held Frederick scoreless the rest of the way.
- Greensboro 4, Kannapolis 3
- Anthony Carter worked his shortest start of the season, going five innings and allowing two runs on five hits and a walk. He struck out three.
- Leroy Hunt took the loss on his first earned run of the year, which crossed the plate on Santo Luis' watch.
- Logan Johnson had a pair of doubles, and Dale Mollenhauer also had two hits.
- Jose Martinez went 0-for-4, ending a four-game hit streak.
- Charlotte vs. Richmond PPD