 |  |
| Thompson | Davies |
| 1-2, 3.60 | 3-6, 5.14 |
The Khalil experiment--also the name of a late-seventies nuclear disaster TV movie, I think--begins today. As a nominal groundball pitcher I'm sure WonderBrad is very eager to see how that works out.
Thompson's fine performance against Cleveland runs his career record as a starter to 10-7, but his strikeout rate--even after those five--is still a lousy 3.7 in the starter's role. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if his sinker had kept sinking (and, more importantly, hitting 90) in the bullpen, where La Russa always seemed reluctant to use him in high leverage situations. But it's all academic--the thing about a swingman the fans feel comfortable with is that if you have one he should probably be in the rotation, anyway. Thompson--not a good starter, not a shutdown reliever--is basically par for the course.
Davies has the curse of the cast-off Braves pitching prospect upon him; it's tough to succeed in those circumstances unless you're blessed with Adam Wainwright's curveball.