I threw 40 pitches the other day and felt pretty good. I even mixed in an overhand curve near the end. The speed wasn't great, but I actually hit the zone pretty consistently. For some reason, though, I've always been able to hit a strike zone painted on a wall better than a catcher's mitt. I think I'll stick with the 4-seamer at the game, though. :D Real men throw the knuckle curve.
He's struck out NINE!!!!!!! It's not about the strikeout. He's pitched poorly overall. I don't buy that this was a "quality start." He made some poor decisions on the mound and allowed himself to be beaten by their few good hitters (namely Cabrera). Like Meat&Potatoes with Ronnie, I call out your anti-Z bias! It's a quality start. 6 innings, 3 earned runs. I'll take it everytime. So you're okay with Z consistetnly with a 4.5 ERA? I'm not, not from him. There's a middle ground between being happy with the outing and being pissed off about it. No need to be upset with 6 IP 3 ER with the peripherals he has tonight.
As opposed to bouncing it home? Yeah. That's the point. Ronny's not trying to 8 hop it to the plate, but you're supposed to keep it low rather than overshoot it. You can always pick a ball that bounces, you can't do anything with a throw that goes over your head.