What Happened to Glen Perkins?

by Jesse on Sep 19, 2008 3:17 PM EDT in News

Okay, right, he got shelled. But how?

The simple answer is that Glen Perkins couldn't hit the strikezone with his changeup or breaking ball, but then again he only threw seven of those pitches. He threw 29 fastballs, and 18 of those actually were strikes...which isn't a bad percentage.

What happens when a pitcher can't throw anything but his 90-mph fastball for strikes is simple: when the hitters catch on, it turns into batting practice. The five sliders were busting right-handers inside, not because they broke that way but because that's just where they ended up. They were straight, 83 mph pitches that ended up an average of 25 inches from the edge of a normalized strike zone.

But it wasn't the lack of other pitches being thrown for strikes that tipped the Rays' hitters off...it was the lack of other pitches, period. By the time Evan Longoria launched his first-inning homer into the stratusphere, only 16 pitches had been thrown; 14 were fastballs. Either something was up with Perkins from the start of the game, where he knew did didn't have his best stuff, or there was simply something wrong with him. Blister, nail problems, sore wrist, elbow or shoulder, Perkins grooved six fastballs to Longoria in a row. You might guess it's just bad scouting or bad pitch selection by the manager or catcher, but I have to believe that a guy with stuff like Perkins isn't voluntarily volleying fastball after fastball to a dangerous hitter unless there's something wrong.

The five runs the offense managed to pull off in the top of the 9th inning last night was dynomite, and maybe it's a little bit of karma coming back to do the team a favor, but those kind of bail outs are few and far between. Minnesota will have to be better on the mound and in the batter's box tonight if they want to take two in a row from Tampa. It's just one and a half games separating us from the White Sox, so let's take some advantage.

After last night, I have to say that on many levels it was just good to get a win. A nice night by Philip Humber, a big night at the plate from Joe Mauer, Jason Kubel finally blasted another home run and still might hit 20 this year, and Carlos Gomez flashed a little more brilliance in center field. There were plenty of positive things to take from last night. It'd just be nice if we could find out whether there was truly something wrong with Perkins.

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tired

After only pitching about 50 innings last year, he’s just hit a wall.

by Dale on Sep 19, 2008 3:25 PM EDT reply actions

Then why was he throwing so hard?

Perkins isn’t tired. In fact, he was sizzling it up to the plate the more the Rays hit him. Which, of course, isn’t his game.

After that game, in which he looked spooked from the start, some people will be replacing the “deer in the headlights” cliche with “Perk in the headlights.”

by Johnny Safron on Sep 19, 2008 11:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Longoria

He got Longoria to swing at a pitch at his shins, and somehow Longoria got the barrell on it. After that he fell apart. If only Livan’s veteran presence was still around to tell him to remain calm.

(That last part was a joke, fyi)

by TMW on Sep 19, 2008 4:46 PM EDT reply actions

I don't know about him losing it after the Longoria AB.

He walked the leadoff hitter Iwamura on five pitches (4 fastballs) , then allowed a single to Bartlett on two pitches (two fastballs). Against Pena he missed outside twice before getting him to roll over on a fastball, inducing a double play. At this point 7 of his 10 pitches were balls.

Then he threw six straight fastballs to Longoria, two of which were called balls, and two more that probably would have been if Longoria hadn’t swung…including the home run ball.

I think he was struggling from the second pitch onward. Longoria put great wood on a ball low in the zone, but he’s a pretty good hitter and you can’t throw him six fastballs in a row. You shouldn’t throw anyone six fastballs in a row, except maybe me.

by Jesse on Sep 19, 2008 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Whew.

Well this is what happens when the Twins go up against a team that is the class of a tougher league. The Rays are scoring more than 1 run an inning so far.

Dear Firpo, looks like my stock is fine.

by MNPundit on Sep 19, 2008 10:41 PM EDT reply actions

Tampa Bay is in a tougher league?

I thought these were all American League teams?

As for better, well, the Twins have outscored the Ray this year. Easily. Despite being outhomered. It’s not an offense issue.

They just don’t pitch as well.

But that has nothing to do with the Rays being in a different “league.” No matter what division, the Twins’ pitching – and fielding, Christ, the fielding – just doesn’t make up for it. In short, the ‘08 Twins are a bit like the Twins’ teams of the ’60s – good hitting, OK pitching, wobbly fielding.

by Johnny Safron on Sep 19, 2008 11:27 PM EDT reply actions