Indy at Rochester, Game 1

Tonight was the third time in 4 years I was able to watch Gorzelanny pitch for Indy. You can find Fanshots of the games in 2006 and 2008, the former while he was on the way up and spectacular, the latter last year after he was demoted.

These caveats apply: I’m not a scout, I’m a just a guy. I have found the pitch speed indicator at Frontier Field very fair over the years, perhaps even a tick slow*. I know these are one-offs. I’m reporting what I saw each game and using other knowledge gained to try and draw some loose conclusions.

*Tonight, the pitch speed indicator intermittently did not give readings, and a few readings of "41" and the like. I’m inclined to throw out most figures I saw, but the eyeball test makes me think it wasn’t really important tonight anyway. One other note, I missed most of the 2nd inning Gorz pitched, GF (getting food, I had my son with me).

Like last year, Gorz looked good enough for AAA, and there were indications that nothing else has changed either. If the gun is to be trusted, his fastball sat at 87-88. Of the pitches I charted, 6 were 90mph or better 5 were swung on and missed 26 were hit foul or fouled off (I should have distinguished, but didn’t).

In fact, reading last year’s Fanpost pretty much sums up Gorz’s outing this year too. He looks like depth right now, and not really good depth.

Andrew McCutchen again surprised in a disappointing way – his defense. With the tying run on, McCutchen did not track Luke Hughes’ deep drive to the CF wall very confidently, and he hit the wall the same time the ball did, without a leap. The ball dropped for a double. Justin Huber followed with a single up the middle, slow enough to allow Hughes to score from 2nd with the winner. McCutchen got to the ball and may have had a play at the plate but his throw was pretty horrific, up the 3B line. I just watched it on the news and he throws it clear out of the picture as Huber slides in. McCutchen did triple and single, and otherwise looked good at the plate.

I saw Bixler Sunday against the Mets and again tonight, and I think he needs hitting lessons. His front side just collapses as he swings, and he’s all arms.

Pearce didn’t see many breaking balls, but his whiff was on one in the dirt. I’m reading in to it, but I think this is a sign of why AAA numbers can’t always be trusted. The Wings starter, Phil Humber, was recently sent down and was probably working on his own agenda, not really pitching to the batter. With other pitchers in AAA often doing the same, I’d guess Pearce sees enough fastballs to put up numbers in the minors. In the bigs, pitchers will be concentrating on getting him out, or him getting himself out. I can’t prove this, but I can’t understand why else he would only see two breaking balls his first three times up.

Neil Walker doubled from the right side and smoked a single from the left. I didn’t see the double, but the AB before that he K’d and looked awful doing it. Walker, by the way, isn't dead yet -- .261/.333/.500 in May.