PLAYERCAST: Kenshin Kawasaki Vs Cincinatti Reds (April 26th)

62 percent of pitches are strikes 17 IP 16 hits 12 R 9 ER ten walks 17 SO 4.76 era
KK has a ERA of 6.00 against RHB and a OBA of .409 not good.  
 

Kenshin Kawakami needs to get a quality start and pitch at least 7 solid innings to keep our bullpen solid for the next series at home. The NL Centrals finest hitters will be coming to Turner field.

Keys to the game : get ahead in the counts, and use his out pitch the change-up.
  : cant use the curveball to get hitters out to easy to see and is hit hard.
  : keep runners out of scoring position
  : stay offensive by being defensive

Bot 1- fb x cb x  ground-out Taveras
           Fb x fb x ground-out Nix
           Fb x fb hbp Votto
           Fb x cb b cb x  ground-out Phillips

9 pitches 7 strikes 1 HBP 3 Ground-outs

Bot 2- ch x sl b fb b ch x ch x foul sl b fb b BB Bruce
           Fb x ground-out Ross cuts off Bruce at second Encarnacion fielders choice
           Fb b fb x Ross cuts off lead runner Encarnacion cb b cb x fb x foul fb b ch x ground-out Hernandez

14 pitches 7 strikes 1 BB 2 Ground-outs

Bot 3-  fb x fb x fb b cb fly out Janish
            Fb b ch x fb x foul cb fly out Owings
            Fb b ch b fb x fb ground-out Taveras                                                    

12 pitches 8 strikes 1 ground-out 2 fly outs

Who is only player to homer in the 75’ 76’ world series for the Big RED Machine?

TRIVIA................................QUESTION

Bot 4-  fb x foul ch x foul fb b fb x foul ch x foul fb strikes out Nix
            Fb x Votta doubles
            Cb passed ball b Nix goes to third fb x ground-out Phillips
            Ch b fb Bruce 2 run HR
            Fb x ch b fb b cb b fb x fb foul fb foul ch x fly out Encarnacion
                                                                              

19 pitches 13 strikes 1 strike out 1 fly ball 1 ground-out 2 H 2 R

Bot 5-  fb b fb x single  Hernandez
           Fb HBP Janish
           Fb sinlge Ownings base hit- hits lead runner so dead ball base hit
           Fb b ch x fb x foul  fb b cb x infield hit bases loaded one out Taveras
           Fb b fb x foul fb x foul cb x line out Nix
           Fb x sl b cb x double 3rbi  Votta
           Ch b cb x single RBI Phillips
           Fb x fb b fb x fb x Bruce 2-run HR
                                                               

23 pitches 14 strikes 1 fly out 6 H 6 R
          

             Kawakami pulled after 4 2/3 IP, he goes a total of 79 pitches 49 strikes 2 K 9 H 8 R 2 HR 2 HBP 3 Fly outs 7 Ground-outs
          
            I had a list of goals that KK needed to abide by and well, lets see how he did.
-12 ab he threw first pitch strike, he threw his change-up 13 times and got 3 outs with it not bad there.

- he used his curveball ten times and had 3 hits off the curveball, which were key hits allowing 4 rbi’s. These two simple at bats he was behind in the at bat and tried a get over curve and was ripped hard to right field. He also threw it in a 3-2 count against nix with bases loaded and one out and it took an outstanding play from Right field to get the out and hold the runner.

-Keep runners out of scoring position well hard to do by himself, but he did this well he kept the balls down in the zone and should not have had trouble with the big inning. Except Micah Owings hit a tailor made Double play ball to Escobar which hit the runner in the foot. This froze the runners at second and first and Tavarez next at bat chopped one out for a infield single. Well in my opinion if the double play happens then there is a runner at third on the Tavarez single. Which if it happened this way Escobar never would have had to wait on the runner to pass when he charged he would have been able to throw Tavarez out and this would have ended the inning with no harm 2-0 lead and KK pitches on.

-My last goal was to stay offensive by being defensive. This for non baseball players is a concept for pitcher's to keep throwing the off speed stuff when you are ahead in the counts to keep the hitters off your fastball. I think he threw his fastball too many times today when he was ahead in the count. Throw the curveball and change-up keep them guessing and then bust a fastball in on the hands get a easy ground-ball. Not always this easily done but it’s a better chance then throwing the curveball for your get over pitch and letting them sit on a hanger.

 Well B/R fans this is what I have tried to do as something new to The Atlanta Braves Page. Have fun reading it and please anything you would like to add, or ask about add it to the comments thanks guys.

Special Thanks to Cameron Britt for enduring this journey with me.