Andy Sonnanstine Pounds Strike Zone In Rays Victory

by Erik Hahmann on Jun 3, 2009 8:00 AM EDT Comment 33 comments

Tampa Bay Rays starter Andy Sonnanstine pitches against the Kansas City Royals during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 2, 2009, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

More photos » by Steve Nesius - AP

5 months ago: Tampa Bay Rays starter Andy Sonnanstine pitches against the Kansas City Royals during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 2, 2009, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

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In his last start Andy Sonnanstine's control was off and his location erratic. He would last only 3 innings and give up eight runs. Tuesday night would be much different. Sonnanstine's control was greatly improved and his location was spot on, resulting in one of his best games of the season

Tonight was vintage Sonnanstine. He mixed his pitches very well, using three varities of fastball, a changeup, curveball and a slider according to BrooksBaseball. His most effective pitch of the night was the slider, which he threw 15 times for an 86.67 strike percentage. Sonnanstine used the tremendous amount of movement he gets on his pitches to generate 11 groundball outs compared to only 6 flyball outs.

Sonnanstine is at his best when he's missing low, and tonight he did just that. In his previous start on May 27th at Cleveland, Sonnanstine was missing up and out of the zone and basically didn't throw a single pitch inside to the left handed heavy Indian lineup.

May 27th:

via brooksbaseball.dustinkikuchi.com

Compare that with last night's game:

via brooksbaseball.dustinkikuchi.com

You can see Sonnanstine pitched inside much more to left handed hitters and when he did miss, it was more down in the zone. You can also clearly see seven pitches on that plot that were called balls that were inside the zone, but since Kyle Davies had 10+ of those pitches complaining doesn't work. Tonight, Andy Sonnanstine pitched exactly how Andy Sonnanstine needs to pitch to be successful. Yes, he allowed a couple of home runs, but he didn't walk anyone. He's going to give up home runs; it comes with the territory of not having dominant stuff. When Sonnanstine doesn't allow any free passes and has the control and location that he showed tonight it's easy to see why this organization is so high on him.

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It's a start, but that KC line up ain't the NYY

Let’s see what happens Sunday

by Raymondo on Jun 3, 2009 8:15 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

2 outings vs Yanks to date

12.1 innings 1BB 1 HR 7K 4ER, one very short leash

by FreeZorilla on Jun 3, 2009 9:18 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pre A-Rod, pre the Real Tex

Hope i’m wrong but this weekend match up looks bad, especially if we’re w/o PTB, Barty, Aki and Longo

by Raymondo on Jun 3, 2009 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Get used to no Aki, friend

He’s probably played his last game so forget about it.

Rays Win!

by Sandy Kazmir on Jun 3, 2009 10:20 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe, Briggy would be a nice replacement

we’ll see how he does

When Barty returns, Zo at 2B, and hopefully Briggy foes back to DUR and playes 2B

by Raymondo on Jun 3, 2009 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ugh I hate watching Zo at 2B

Swav or Die
For the lulz

by SRQman on Jun 3, 2009 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe he made Tex look like not the real Tex?

Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.

by Sky Kalkman on Jun 3, 2009 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Watching from the stands,

only one pitch really bothered me. Am I right that the Olivo home run was on a curve ball on the inner half of the plate? I can’t tell from my vantage point.

If so, that had to be one that got away from Sonnanstine. He had Olivo 0-2, and Olivo had walked twice all year in something like 111 ABs. Seems to me you throw nothing he can get a good swing at at that point.

KC does not have a good lineup, but regardless, it was a good start for Sonnantine. He was mixing his pitches very well. It was fun to watch.

by bobr on Jun 3, 2009 8:16 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I believe both HR were on hangers

which according to the announcers have been his problem to RH hitters

by Raymondo on Jun 3, 2009 8:18 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If so,

it was irritating to see it happen when he is 0-2 on a hitter who rarely walks. At that point he tied the game, and Longoria and Pena looked terrible all night so there was no guarantee the Rays would get to the Royals’ pitchers, mediocre though they are.

by bobr on Jun 3, 2009 8:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I thought the same thing watching it on TV.

Why not a slider in the dirt or a low fastball with that count.

Sonny giving up HRs are to be expected, just not in the situation you described ; if he can get his walks down to his career avg the HRs will be much less painful.

by davelrogers on Jun 3, 2009 10:28 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Or a shoulder-high fastball to set up the low and away pitch?

by Doyouseeit? on Jun 3, 2009 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Olivo probably would have chased the shoulder high fastball.

He has one of the highest Swing% in the majors (in or out of the zone), right up there with Vlad and hacktastic Jason Smith.

baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator

by RATW on Jun 3, 2009 11:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Our Jason Smith?

by R.J. Anderson on Jun 3, 2009 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

For Fred McGriff!

The one and only.

baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator

by RATW on Jun 3, 2009 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

At least Manny Aybar worked out well.

by R.J. Anderson on Jun 3, 2009 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Incidentally,

wasn’t it wonderful to see Howell pitch? 11 pitches, 9 strikes, 2 Ks. He started with an 85 mph fastball and got it up to 88 later in the inning according to the stadium gun. No short shrift to Balfour who did fine, but Howell was near perfect. And Maddon had him warming up before Joyce’s home run indicating that Howell was going to close the game with a save on the line. That is good news; perhaps the end of the nonsense that only the designated veteran closer has to be trusted with close leads in the 9th.

by bobr on Jun 3, 2009 8:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Howell at "closer" is exciting.

by R.J. Anderson on Jun 3, 2009 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, I e-mailed Dan Brooks (brooksbaseball) to ask whether his plots are adjusted for the hitter's height. Below is his response:

That graph is not.

But, the “Strikezone Maps” (that plot umpire calls) are normalized for hitter height.

From the main page for that start, click "Strikezone Maps’.

Or, click here:
http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfx/szone.php?xml=http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_2009/month_05/day_30/gid_2009_05_30_minmlb_tbamlb_1//pbp/pitchers/285079.xml&innings=yyyyyyyyy&s_type=1&sp_type=1&h_size=700&v_size=500&extraStr=|5/30/2009|Minnesota%20Twins%20@%20Tampa%20Bay%20Rays

Best-
Dan

by walkoffwalk on Jun 3, 2009 8:51 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs