Bleacher Report - Articles by Wesley Page

Giant Opportunity: San Francisco's Jonathan Sanchez Off to Hot Start in 2008

Wesley Page — Thu, 01 May 2008 10:06:51 -0400

Before the 2007 season, Giants LHP Jonathan Sanchez was tabbed By Baseball America as the second best prospect in San Francisco's minor league pipeline and named 2006 Organizational Player of the Year by USA Today.

During 2006 and 2007, which included stints in the majors as both a starter and reliever, Sanchez logged a pedestrian 4-6 record with an ERA well over 5.00 and accumulated a WHIP ratio of over 1.50.

Only his 95 strikeouts in 92 innings of work belied his true potential.

Sanchez was drafted in 2004 out of Ohio Dominican University, where he racked up four no-hitters and set records for strikeouts in a game (16), season (105), and career (311).

He spent the better part of two seasons in the minors before being called up to the big leagues in mid-2006, where he struggled at times to find his control (23 walks in 40 innings). A nagging rib injury limited his production last year as well, leaving his future as a starter in limbo.

By default, Sanchez slid into the fifth spot in the rotation with Noah Lowry and Kevin Correia on the disabled list to start the season. Stumbling through his first start at Milwaukee, he was shelled for seven earned runs in four innings of work.

Just when things looked bleak—in a contract year, no less—Sanchez turned things around.

His next start, against San Diego on April 9, yielded this stat line: 6 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 10 K.

Blind squirrel theory, right?

Maybe not.

Since that K-fest against the Brewers, the fireballing lefty has thrown 23 2/3 innings, given up six earned runs, struck out 22, including another 10-K outing in eight innings against the Reds last week, and walked only twelve.

More importantly, the Giants have won all four of those starts.

Let's face it: if the Giants stand any chance of winning this year, they will have to do it with pitching and defense.

When a team is forced to win that way, it never hurts to rely on a fifth starter like Sanchez who somehow manages make opposing hitters look like thirteen year-old boys at a Victoria's Secret fashion show—a lot of staring but not much hitting.

No team would complain about a starter with a deceptive splitter and a low to mid-90's fastball that runs away from right-handed hitters like it stole something.

With uber-prospects Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain anchoring the front end of the rotation, the mound at AT&T Park looks to be in good hands for the foreseeable future.

For Sanchez, there are bound to be some bumps in the road, just as there are with all 24-year-old pitchers.

If he continues to carve up hitters with his fastball and manages to keep his off-speed stuff in the same area code as home plate, Eli Manning and company may not be the only Giants shocking the world this year.

Musketeers-Mountaineers: Xavier and West Virginia Set to Battle in Sweet Sixteen

Wesley Page — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:20:51 -0400

For the second time in 2008, West Virginia fans will be making the cross-country journey to Phoenix to cheer on their Mountaineers in a high-profile sporting event. In January, the WVU football team trounced a heavily favored Oklahoma squad 48-28. This time, the Mountaineer cagers look to do the same to Xavier. Well, not the score. That would have to set some kind of record in the shot clock era. But another upset on the national stage would all but erase the memory of some guy named Beilein who led WVU to its last Elite Eight appearance.

After upending the second-seeded Duke Blue Devils to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, Bob Huggins and company look to parlay that momentum into WVU's second Elite Eight appearance in four years. Against Duke, and for seemingly the first time all season, the Mountaineers displayed the kind of sheer determination and grit that became the staple of Huggins' teams in Cincinnati. If they can maintain that hunger through their matchup with Xavier, they have a chance to earn a date with UCLA (be honest, Western Kentucky, you know the clock is about to strike midnight) in the regional finals.

With "Broadway Joe" Alexander leading the charge and opening room for snipers Alex Ruoff and Darris Nichols, West Virginia packs a formidable punch on the offensive end to counter Xavier's stifling defense. Aside from two "did that really just happen?" nights against Cincinnati and at Villanova (a fellow Sweet Sixteen team, in case you've been hibernating lately), the only teams to shut down WVU's offense have one thing in common: a strong inside presence. Xavier? Not so much. The Musketeers' tallest players (there are actually three of them) are 6'9, meaning that in order to beat WVU they are going to have to shoot lights out from behind the arc. Ask Coach K how that worked out.

Unfortunately, one of those 6'9'ers is man-child Josh Duncan, who is averaging 12.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. WVU will look to counter Duncan with Wellington Smith, who was limited against Duke due to foul trouble. If Smith can lock down on Duncan, the rest of the Mountaineers will man up on Xavier's smallish guards and force them inside where Smith and Alexander will be waiting to serve up a few Wilson sandwiches. (Right, DeMarcus Nelson?) And if Joe Mazzulla can limit catalyst Drew Lavender's productivity, WVU should be able to keep it close and hopefully pull out a win in the final minutes.

While WVU has been hot as of late, don't sell Xavier short. The Musketeers own solid wins over Kent State and Indiana (when they were, you know, actually good) and a twenty-six point rout of Kansas State, not to mention their routine dispatching of Purdue and a red hot Georgia team to make it this far. This is Xavier's best team in decades, possibly ever, and they won't easily fade away into the desert night.

In a game of similar styles, the outcome could be decided on a few loose balls or close calls late in the game. If WVU can get Ruoff and Nichols loose for some early threes, Xavier will be in for a battle. However, if Smith and Da'Sean Butler (or, gulp, Joe Alexander) get into foul trouble, it could spell doom for the Mountaineers.

Deja 'W'Vu? Mountaineers Look to Channel Magic of 2005 Elite Eight Team

Wesley Page — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:44:46 -0400

Where have we seen this before? West Virginia starts hot, stumbles down the stretch, is on the bubble to start the Big East tournament, beats Providence in the first round, and winds up a No. 7 seed in the West.

The last time the Mountaineers faced such a scenario (2005), they promptly rattled off wins over Creighton, Wake Forest, and Texas Tech to reach the Elite Eight. This time? Deja vu all over again.

Could WVU lose? Sure. Arizona is solid, with future NBA players Jarryd Bayless and Chase Budinger leading the charge. But since Lute Olson went AWL (absent with leave), the Wildcats have struggled to find their identity. Bayless can't score and everyone else seems to have forgotten some of the finer aspects of the game, like defense.

Since beating USC on Jan. 31, Arizona's only decent win came at Washington State. That doesn't bode well in a matchup against a dangerous WVU team guided by first year coach Bob Huggins.

Huggins has taken the best elements of Beilein ball (good turnover margin, unselfish play, and solid shooting) and molded them into his style of rugged defense, tenacious rebounding, and relentless hustle.

The scariest part: The Mountaineers are just now hitting their stride.

Enter Joe Alexander. He has been the single most valuable player on any team down the stretch. Don't take my word for it—ask Bobby Knight. Since Mr. Knight has won approximately 900 more games than me, I won't argue.

After averaging a tepid 30 points per game over the last five, Alexander was finally slowed by Georgetown to the tune of 12 points on a dismal 5-16 shooting. That won't happen again. Alexander and company will be rested and prepared for whatever kind of double and triple-teams the Wildcats throw their way.

Moreover, senior Darris Nichols and junior Alex Ruoff are both long overdue to get hot from behind the arc, where WVU has burned opponents with just more than seven treys a game this season.

On the defensive end, look for Arizona to attack Alexander in an attempt to get him into foul trouble and to use their superior athleticism to try to overpower the Mountaineers inside. But without a dominant center on either side, WVU can counter with the ever-improving Wellington Smith and Joe Mazzulla, who won't be fazed by Arizona's size and quickness after having shut down a bigger, better UConn team a week earlier in the Big East tournament.

After a close West Virginia win in the opening round, look for them to surprise a smallish and streaky Duke team to advance to the Sweet 16 for the third time in the past four years.

It won't be an encore of the double-overtime classic against Wake Forest that made "Pittsnogled" a household word, but it's going to look eerily similar. Duke, you're on notice.

WVU: Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Friars

Wesley Page — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:47:47 -0400

It's put up or shut up time for WVU. With the bubble shrinking considerably the past few days (thanks George Mason and San Diego), teams like WVU have little room for error now.

WVU should be in, but they don't call it March Madness for nothin'—if, for example Seton Hall beats Syracuse for the Big East title, WVU may get a chance to be the back-to-back champions that nobody wants to be.

The Mountaineers open tournament play against Providence for the 87th time in the last five years and will play them for the third time this season.

I've heard enough of this "it's difficult to beat a team three times in one year" nonsense. There's a REASON WVU won the first two, and there's a REASON (read: Joe Alexander) why they’re going to win the third.

The run will likely stop there, although WVU did make a nifty comeback in Storrs, they just don’t have the firepower to stay with UConn, especially in postseason play.

But win the game against Provy and the 'Eers should be dancing—that's a hefty accomplishment by a first year coach who brought in a style entirely unsuited for the players he was dealt.

WVU will look to channel some of the 2005 Elite Eight magic when they made a run to the Big East tournament finals then beat Creighton, Wake Forest, and Texas Tech before bowing to Louisville in OT.

But in all honesty, I'll just be happy to make it. Now if Jamie Smalligan can find his Kevin Pittsnogle costume for the big dance (yes, I know, that's asking a lot), there might be a reason to burn some furniture...