Tuber Times 2062.05: Sim #1 Recap - CLG,PHX,RMO

[cheekimonk]

Tuber Times
10 Apr 2062
Boise, Idaho
**********************************
by Stubby Bardenwerper

Boise Spuds 2 5 .286 DIV -4 WC -2 L10: 2-5 Strk: L2


(ok, the season didn't start on a Monday, but it's Susanna Fucking Hoffs!!)
Welcome to 2062! Let us hope it's not like this all year. There was the good (scoring 5.4 runs/game), the bad (another SP goes down), and the ugly (allowing 7.6). But, that said, you can always take a horrible Sim #1 with the hopeful salt that maybe your pitchers didn't get enough work in Spring Training. And we'll just go ahead and state for the record (pun intended) that Hanson and Einan are on the shelf, so we don't have to bang that drum any longer.

@ Calgary 3-5 L SP Marvin 'Groucho' Winston (L) - 2 G, 0-2, 8.64 ERA, 8.1 IP, 1.56 WHIP, +0.1 WAR
@ Calgary 5-6 L SP Muneer bin Khairy (L) - 2 G, 0-2, 12.38 ERA, 8.0 IP, 2.50 WHIP, -0.3 WAR
@ Calgary 8-10 L [https://statspl.us/brewster/reports/new ... 57770.html]SP Doug Eckhoff[/url] (ND) - 1 G, 0-0, 10.12 ERA, 5.1 IP, 2.06 WHIP, -0.2 WAR
- I think it's true in all cases that Sims never look as bad or good as they seemed at first glance. Even though these were all high-scoring affairs they were decided by 2 runs or less. That's on the pitchers and, as mentioned above, that is kind of a wild card this early in the season.
- Game 1 wasn't really that bad for pitching as P Brian Groves just closed out a 7-inning, 4-run outing by the starter. Same in G2 with P Yoriyuki Ine.
- C Tadanobu Otani was nice surprise in 2061 as he delivered 18 doubles and 10 homeruns at age 22 to seize the starting job. Was that a fluke rookie year? He launched a HR in all 3 games to open the year so we're going with "looks like no" as the verdict.
- The Pioneers had 3 players with 3 RBI in the series finale. Spuds 3B Bill Kuhn answered with 4 of his own.

v Phoenix 6-5(10) W SP Jeremy Nickerson (ND) - 1 G, 0-0, 4.05 ERA, 6.2 IP, 1.35 WHIP, +0.0 WAR
v Phoenix 11-3 W SP Buddhapalita Kankipati (ND) - 1 G, 0-0, 4.15 ERA, 4.1 IP, 1.38 WHIP, +0.0 WAR
v Phoenix 2-13 L Winston (L)
- So the Spuds started out the year getting swept on the road and good teams respond to that with a sweep at home. Didn't happen. They took 2 of 3 from the Talons but had an 8-run win offset with a 11-run loss. Not sure what to make of that.
- And pitching was not as bad as it seemed, sort of, when considering that Groucho left his start in the 2nd with an elbow strain. It became a bullpen game and, well, let's just hope the bullpen was rusty and count it as a good thing that they got so many innings of work early in the season.
- P Abban 'Eeyore' Layar was disappointing in his first turn as a Spud allowing 3 runs on 5 hits in 2 innings of the finale. Just get it out of your system, bro.
- Kuhn bagged his first 2 homers of the 2062 campaign in the opener and CL Mario Santos got his first innings in earning the win in the same game.
- It will be interesting to keep an eye on Kankipati as he piles up starts with his 3 stamina. He got in 78 pitches, allowing only 2 runs, but didn't get thru the 5th. 80 pitches is roughly the expectation from Teague. Whether that's more important than ushering the game into the 6th remains to be seen. He has stated that bullpen depth will boost Kankipati's starts.
- We already mentioned that Groucho left the finale early but that's no excuse to overlook P Juan Guzmán allowing 4 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks without recording an out.

@ Rocky Mountain 3-11 L bin Khairy (L)
- Boise needs to pull out at least a series win at Rocky Mountain to settle some nerves. They didn't get a good start as Scary bin Khairy gave up 6 hits and 6 runs in 1.2 innings. That's what makes him so scary as he has these kind of starts lurking in his pocket waiting to jump out without warning.
- Rocky Mountain LF Federico 'Kiki' Linares posted 4 RBI in the opener with SS Lúcio Guevara adding 3 of his own.