In Felipe Paulino's last three starts, he is 0-3. However, his ERA is 2.65. In 17IP, he has a line of 14H/5ER, 20K:6BB, throwing 61% of his pitches for strikes, and an opposing batter line of .230/.299/.410. How is he 0-3? Because the Astros have scored a total of two runs in games he has started. In 14 starts this season, the Astros have scored zero/one runs in eight of those starts.
Let's take us a gander at what has changed in his three starting stints.
Paulino 1.0 (Apr 19-29): 0-2 (3 starts), 17.2IP, 19H/5ER, 13K:4BB, 2.55 ERA/1.30 WHIP, opp line of .288/.347/.348, 65% of pitches for strikes
Paulino 2.0 (May 12-Jul 3): 1-3 (7 starts), 32IP, 41H/27ER, 31K:8BB, 7.59 ERA/1.53 WHIP, opp line: .306/.345/.575, 64% strikes
Paulino 3.0 (Sep 2-13): 0-3 (3 starts), 17IP, 14H/5ER, 20K:6BB, 2.65 ERA/1.18 WHIP, opp line: .230/.299/.410, 61% strikes
Paulino has gotten 99 of his 282 pitches in round three for non-contact strikes (35%), getting 17 swinging strikes in two of his last three starts. So this is encouraging for Paulino as we head into 2010, but it's important to remember that he didn't throw in 2008, so precaution should be taken.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
