Consider how terrible Lucas Harrell has been this season:
6.01 ERA/1.74 WHIP. 81K:82BB. 19 homers allowed. .858 OPS-against (.390 OBP-against).
9.19 ERA/2.10 WHIP since the All-Star Break with 14K:25BB in 32.1IP.
ERAs over 7.00 in May (7.53), July (8.41), August (11.08), and September (9.82).
In the last week, he's allowed 14H/8ER, 5K:5BB, 2HR in 7.1IP.
But look specifically at Oakland, and they're responsible for a decent chunk of Harrell's problems. It started in G6 at home: 4.1IP, 7H/8ER, 2K:5BB, 3HR.
In G49 Harrell lasted 1.2IP, allowing 6H/6ER, 1K:3BB.
There were back-to-back relief stints in G119/120 where he held the A's to 2H/0ER, 1K:1BB in 4.1IP.
And then yesterday, when Harrell allowed 7H/7ER, 2K:2BB in 3IP.
So in five games total against the As, Harrell has thrown 13.1IP, 22H/21ER, 6K:11B, 4HR for a 14.18 ERA/2.48 WHIP. And to narrow that down to the three starts, it's 9IP, 20H/21ER, 5K:10BB.
And before you go saying "Well, it's just Oakland. They're good" (you'd be right), but keep in mind that, against Texas, he has a 10.05 ERA/2.23 WHIP in four appearances. Detroit? Two starts, 12.54 ERA/2.57 WHIP; St. Louis? Two appearances, 12.79 ERA/2.68 WHIP.
I don't know what you take from this. But it's clear that good teams who see Harrell more than once can take advantage of it.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
