A quick hit-and-run post during the intermission between the third and fourth overtime periods in Dallas:
| 2007 | 2008 | |
| K% | 11 | 10 |
| BB/HBP% | 5 | 6 |
| Strk% | 65 | 64 |
| StS% | 9 | 9 |
| GB% | 48 | 45 |
| LD% | 19 | 18 |
| HR/FB% | 8 | 9 |
| tRA | 4.86 | 5.00 |
Carlos Silva has basically been the exact same pitcher in 2008 as he was in 2007, give or take a few minor little things. He's been throwing the same pitches, he's been throwing about the same speed, and he's been getting the same results. And while he definitely got a few bad breaks this afternoon, you'd be hard-pressed to find a luckier ERA than Silva's 2.79 through his first six starts. It was completely unwarranted, and while it fooled a few people into believing that he'd become a new pitcher, it was the same trick Washburn pulled a year ago, when his ERA stood at 2.64 on May 11th. And we know how that one turned out.
Carlos Silva isn't horrible. He could easily become horrible if he loses even a fraction of his command, but for now he's an innings-eater with ~average run prevention abilities, and despite what some people might've had you believe, he's not going to be anything more than that. Today was a pretty good reminder.The goods are all right, but the bads can be pretty damn ugly.
Regression, as they say, is swift.