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Hot
Pat Corbin, VIS: His innings are being limited, but as long as his scoreless streak continues, I'm going to have to list him. Pat Corbin has made four starts for Visalia since being acquired in the Dan Haren trade, three of which have lasted only three innings apiece. The starts have been short, but they've been effective with no runs, unearned or earned, allowed. Corbin has 21 strikeouts to just four walks in 14 Visalia innings, and it has to be considered a successful first full pro season for the 2009 2nd round pick.
Juan Nicasio, MOD: Looking back at the game log, it's difficult to find a series of three Juan Nicasio starts where he was bad, good and then bad again or vice versa. He might be the most streaky pitcher in the league as I've said before, and right now he's hot again. He's on a three game winning streak, and Nicasio has only allowed two runs over 23 innings in those starts. His K:BB ratio has been great all year, and that's been especially true in his winning streak with 20 strikeouts to one walk.
Ben Hornbeck, STO: Ben Hornbeck was one of the Cal League's best starters in 2009, but he never really showed that form this year after an unsuccessful stint with AA Midland to start 2010. He was struggling with two issues, walks and allowing home runs. In his last two starts, neither has been a problem at all. Hornbeck has pitched 12.2 IP in those starts, winning both, with just one earned run allowed. He's still striking guys out, eight in each start, and he has also cut down on the walks with just two.
Paul Smyth, STO: Despite an odd amount of blown saves, Paul Smyth has been one of the league's best relievers all season. Except for a rough stretch in July, Smyth has entered and ended games as Stockton's closer. Lately, Smyth has been even more dominant, earning more strikeouts to go along with preventing runners from reaching base. Smyth is working on a seven appearances scoreless streak, allowing only three hits and four walks in seven innings. Since being drafted last year, he has clearly been one of the minors' best relievers.
Brian Moran, HD: Last pitcher tracker, Brian Moran just missed the cut for the hot list. With four more scoreless appearances in the last couple weeks, I had to include him this time. Moran has been a force in his first full season of pro baseball with both A Clinton and High Desert. He has 12 straight scoreless appearances, which High Desert desperately needed after the bullpen struggled to hold leads for most of the season. Moran has only allowed three hits over his last four appearances, all of which came in two innings against Lake Elsinore.
Not hot
Ethan Martin, IE: It looks like it could be time for the Dodgers to shut down Ethan Martin in 2010. he struggled with his consistency for most of the season, but in the second half, particularly his last seven starts, inconsistency has become bad pitching. Every stat indicates he's not pitching as well as he was a couple months ago. Batters are hitting over .300 against him in the second half, his strikeouts are down, he's still walking batters, and all of a sudden now he's giving up a lot of home runs.
Maikel Cleto, HD: Maikel Cleto has some of the best velocity in the minors, but that hasn't really reflected in his numbers this season or really his entire career. Batters hit for a high average against him, and he doesn't strike as many batters out as one would expect. For most of the year, he wasn't really walking many guys later, but that has changed recently. Cleto walked six batters in two innings against Lake Elsinore, and the Storm made him pay with a Jaff Decker grand slam in the first inning.
Kennil Gomez, BAK: Kennil Gomez struggled with Bakersfield in 2009, and I'm sure the Rangers didn't expect him to take another step back when they reassigned him to the Blaze for another year. On August 7th, the Giants scored 10 runs against Gomez (four earned) when he only recorded two outs. His two appearances since then haven't been much better, and it appears that he'll be back to long relief duty again. It's never good for a K:BB ratio to gradually approach 1.
Garrett Richards, RC: His first start with Rancho Cucamonga was very good, but Garrett Richards got a taste of how unforgiving the Cal League can be in his last two. Opponents are batting .375 against him in the early going with the Quakes which is pretty surprising compared to the standard he was setting with A Cedar Rapids. His K:BB ratio is still great, so maybe Richards is just a little bit unlucky giving up so many hits. It'll be interesting to see if the Angels are going to limit his innings as 2010 winds down.
Carlos Pimentel, BAK: Carlos Pimentel always seems to go into a slump just after showing his talent and making it look like he's turning a corner. Since 7/31, Pimentel has really struggled, and that includes a rough spot start with AA Frisco in which Pimentel allowed three home runs and five earned runs in four innings. After that, he came back to Bakersfield and only lasted two innings in his most recent start. Pimentel has certainly had his good stretches, but right now he's just not in the rhythm he was in May.
Injured
Dan Houston, MOD: Placed on the DL on 8/12 but expects to come back this season...
Kyle Nicholson, SJ: Placed on the DL on 8/19...
On the radar
Fabio Castillo, BAK
Stephen Penney, HD
Anthony Bass, LE
Juan Oramas, LE
Brad Brach, LE
Ethan Hollingsworth, MOD
Mike Piazza, RC
Justin Fitzgerald, SJ
Shawn Haviland, STO
Chase Anderson, VIS
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