If you’re Dustin Moseley, I’m going to have to ask you not to read this article. It’s about tough-luck pitchers who haven’t won a start, and, well, you didn’t make the list. I know you have a 1.99 ERA through five starts, and the Padres have scored .3 combined runs in those starts, but ...
John Danks, Chris Carpenter And Matt Garza: Winless And Good
Oh, good. Dustin threw his laptop out the window before he got to the rest. Truth is, I wanted to highlight three winless pitchers who a) are starting this weekend, and b) are established top-of-the-rotation starters, which Moseley wouldn’t qualify for, even if he is the unluckiest pitcher in the game. If you’ve found your way to this corner of the internet, there’s a good chance you know that pitcher wins don’t mean a whole lot. But if they’re good for something, it’s that they give you a pretty good idea of who’s getting hosed.
Garza’s ERAs since 2007: 3.69, 3.70, 3.95, and 3.91. His ERA through five starts for the Cubs in 2011: 4.11. So no big difference, right? But Garza’s strikeout rate is obscene - 12 per nine innings - and he hasn’t allowed a home run. Those two things usually lead to some sparkly stats, but he’s winless because every time someone makes contact against him the ball goes for a hit, and also because the Cubs have scored eight runs in Garza’s five games. Or, as the kids call it these days, the Cubs have zobristed. But over five games, which kind of minimizes the impact.
Garza will go on Saturday against Ian Kennedy in Arizona.
Danks has thrown quality starts in four of his five starts, but the White Sox have averaged 2.6 runs, and the relievers who follow him have been a mess. Unlike Garza, his ERA is right where it should be -- his luck is just that his team isn’t winning behind his strong outings. Chicago is 0-5 in his starts, which goes a long way towards explaining their slide into last place.
Danks is going Friday night against Jake Arrieta and the Orioles at U.S. Cellular Field.
Like Danks, Carpenter's team is 0-5 in his starts this season. The Cardinals would have been exactly as well off if they had started Dave Duncan. Here’s his game log so far this season:
| Rk | Date | Tm | Opp | Rslt | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 31 | STL | SDP | L,3-5 | 7.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2.57 | ||
| 2 | Apr 6 | STL | PIT | L,1-3 | L(0-1) | 6.0 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2.08 | |
| 3 | Apr 12 | STL | @ | ARI | L,8-13 | L(0-2) | 4.0 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5.82 |
| 4 | Apr 17 | STL | @ | LAD | L,1-2 | 7.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4.12 | |
| 5 | Apr 23 | STL | CIN | L,3-5 | 6.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3.90 | ||
| STL | 30.0 | 25 | 14 | 13 | 8 | 26 | 4 | 3.90 |
That looks like a pitcher who should be 4-1 behind the Lance Berkman Express. But there's also a very real chance that he's forgotten how to win. Because that's what the game is all about, right? Wins and losses! Carpenter is starting Friday night against Tim Hudson and the Braves.
This all reminds me of Jack Morris’ famous quote from that book he never wrote:
”I used to count out shark teeth before each season. I’d tell myself that each tooth represented a run I could allow that season. When my team scored a lot of runs, I’d sprinkle a lot of shark teeth on the mound. Those were the games I could give up my runs. When my team didn’t score, I’d pick just one tooth and jam it into my mitt so that with each pitch it would dig into my skin. That way I’d never forget how close the game was.“And that’s the completely true story of how Jack Morris was able to pitch to the score.
Obviously, you don’t need me to tell you that these pitchers will be fine. Just pointing out whom the impartial observer should pull for in the interest of fairness, order in the universe, and never having to listen to someone ask what’s wrong with any of these pitchers.
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