Derek Lowe: Breaking New Ground
Posted by Raphy on April 5, 2009
In tonight's opening game, Derek Lowe pitched 8 shutout innings while allowing only 2 base runners to reach base. According to PI, since 1954 no pitcher has pitched as many shutout innings on opening day and allowed as few base runners.(In 2007 Ben Sheets allowed 2 BR in 9 innings, but one of them was a home run) Here are the pitchers (since 1954) who threw at least 8 shutout opening day innings while allowing only 3 base runners:
Cnt Player Date Tm Opp GmReslt App,Dec IP H R ER BB BR SO HR Pit Str GmSc IR IS BF AB 2B 3B IBB HBP SH SF GDP SB CS Pk BK WP ERA +----+-----------------+-------------+---+----+-------+---------+----+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+---+---+----+--+--+--+--+--+--+---+---+--+--+---+--+--+--+--+--+------+ 1 Mark Buehrle 2005-04-04 CHW CLE W 1-0 GS-8 ,W 8 2 0 0 1 3 5 0 103 66 82 25 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 2 Curt Schilling 1998-03-31 PHI @NYM L 0-1 GS-8 8 2 0 0 1 3 9 0 86 27 25 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 3 Rick Rhoden 1988-04-05 NYY MIN W 8-0 SHO9 ,W 9 3 0 0 0 3 4 0 115 70 85 30 30 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 4 Jon Matlack 1980-04-10 TEX NYY W 1-0 GS-9 9 3 0 0 0 3 5 0 86 30 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 5 Ron Guidry 1980-04-10 NYY @TEX L 0-1 GS-9 9 2 0 0 0 3 4 0 87 29 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 6 Frank Pastore 1980-04-09 CIN ATL W 9-0 SHO9 ,W 9 3 0 0 0 3 5 0 86 30 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 7 Jim Palmer 1975-04-10 BAL @DET W 10-0 SHO9 ,W 9 3 0 0 0 3 4 0 85 29 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 That Rangers-Yankees game in 1980 must have been some way to start off a season.
April 5th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
I decided to come up with my own 40 questions game that will be just like the one they had this season over on the PFR blog. Here is the link to the rules and stuff they had http://www.pro-football-reference.com/blog/?p=589, but I'll summarize them here. There will be 40 groups of two items and you are tasked to pick which one will be greater. They may be as straightforward as the number of wins by Team A vs the number of wins by Team B, or they may be more intricate like the number of saves by Player A vs the number of caught stealings by Player B. Anyway, if you have any questions feel free to ask, and post your responses in the format of:
1. Player X's HRs
2. Team A's total team saves
etc.
Also, maybe this could get moved to its own post by one of the official people so a lot of people can participate. I think it'll be a fun competition to win some bragging rights.
Without further ado, here are the pairs.
1.Number of wins for Pirates
Number of wins for Royals
2.Number of errors by Yuniesky Betancourt
Number of stolen bases by David Wright
3.Team batting average for Blue Jays
Team batting average for Rockies
4.Number of games behind division leader for Pirates
Number of games behind division leader for Mariners
5.Number of wins by CC Sabathia
Number of wins by Johan Santana
6.Number of strikeouts by Barry Zito
Number of walks issued by MLB leader at end of season
7.Number of stolen bases by Rays
Number of home runs by Nationals
8.Number of double plays turned by Marlins
Number of errors committed by Tigers
9.Number of home runs by Manny Ramirez
Number of home runs by Jimmy Rollins, Michael Young and Derek Jeter combined
10.Number of strikeouts by Mark Reynolds
Number of strikeouts by Ryan Howard
11.Team ERA of Rangers
ERA of Livan Hernandez
12.Number of saves by Francisco Rodriguez
Number of saves by all Cubs pitchers
13.Number of innings pitched by Cliff Lee
Number of innings pitched by Zack Greinke
14.Number of home runs by Jose Reyes
Number of triples by Jose Reyes
15.Number of games started by A.J. Burnett
Number of games started by Andy Pettitte
16.Number of teams from AL East in playoffs
Number of teams from NL East in playoffs
17.Number of divisions won by Angels
Number of divisions won by Mariners, Athletics and Rangers combined
(Basically, will the Angels win the AL West or will one of the other three teams)
18.Number of wins by Phillies
Number of wins by Cubs
19.Number of bases stolen by all catchers in MLB
Number of bases stolen by all first basemen in MLB
20.Number of home runs hit in Coors Field (Rockies)
Number of home runs hit in Nationals Park (Nationals)
21.Number of stolen bases against the Orioles
Number of stolen bases against the Braves
22.Number of players with over 35 home runs
Number of players with over 35 stolen bases
23.Number of pitchers with 20+ wins
Number of pitchers with 210+ strikeouts
24.Number of doubles by MLB leader at end of season
Number of stolen bases by MLB leader at end of season
25.Number of different pitchers used by Yankees
Number of different pitchers uses by Tigers
26.Number of teams with over 95 wins
Number of teams with over 95 losses
27.Number of players in 30-30 club at end of season (30 HRs and 30 SBs)
Number of home runs hit by Micah Owings
28.Number of RBI by MLB leader at end of season
Number of home runs hit by top three MLB leaders at end of season
29.Batting average by AL leader at end of season
Batting average by NL leader at end of season
30.Games won by NL in interleague play
Games won by AL in interleague play
31.Slugging percentage of Alex Rodriguez
Slugging percentage of David Ortiz
32.Number of stolen bases by B.J. Upton
Number of stolen bases by all Pirates players
33.Number of times home gets stolen by all of MLB
Number of times players get caught stealing home by all of MLB
34.Number of complete games by Roy Hallady
Number of complete games by CC Sabathia
35.Number of home runs by Prince Fielder, Mark Teixeira and Miguel Cabrera
Number of bases stolen by Grady Sizemore, Brian Robers and Jacoby Ellsbury
36.Number of walks taken by all Athletics players
Number of walks taken by all Brewers players
37.Number of games lost by Nationals
Number of games won by Red Sox
38.Number of games it takes to decide World Series
Number of teams that don't have any player hit 20 home runs
39.Number of teams that finish over .500 in NL West
Number of teams that finish under .500 in AL East
40.Number of AL pitchers with 20+ wins
Number of NL pitchers with 20+ wins
April 6th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Don't be limited to what the database has. I believe it was Bob Feller who pitched a 9-inning no-hitter against the Yankees on opening day.
April 6th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
MrBaseballcard - You may be right that there were other players. However, Feller's no-hitter doesn't make the cut. Feller had control problems the whole game and allowed three base runners in the second inning alone.
http://encarta.msn.com/sidebar_761595115/Bob_Feller%27s_Opening_Day_No-Hitter.html
April 6th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Feller walked 5 batters when he no-hit the White Sox on Opening Day 1940. If you read the original post, the stat is baserunners, not hits.