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Here's the setup:
Total Marlins Duels: 8
Record in Duels: 2-6
By Pitcher:
Javier Vasquez: 3
Anibal Sanchez: 2
Josh Johnson: 1
Alfredo Sanabia: 1
Chris Volstad: 1
Grantland
By Bill James
So sometimes you're at a ballgame and it's a really good pitchers' duel, so you start to wonder "Is this the best pitchers' duel I have seen this year?" or "Is this the best pitchers' duel the Rockies have had this year?" or "Is this the best pitchers' duel in the majors this year?" or, if you are Ken Burns or have a Napoleonic complex, "is this the Greatest Pitchers' Duel in Major League History?" There is, of course, no way to know, and that's where I come in.
Anything can be measured if you don't have to start out with exactly the right answer. You can get an objective answer to any question if you can accept the fact that somebody else may have a different objective answer that's just as good as yours. Those of you who wish to point out that I don't quite understand the definition of "objective" are now instructed to leave the room.
What are the elements of a great pitchers' duel? A pitchers' duel is a low-scoring game, obviously; a 1-0 game is the champion of its list. The term "pitchers' duel" implies that the starting pitchers pitch well, as opposed to staggering through five innings un-scored upon and handing it off to the bullpen. We think of a pitchers' duel more highly if it involves pitchers of stature. A 1-0 game is more memorable if it is Sabathia against Verlander than if it is Marco Estrada against Kevin Correia. Which, by the way, actually happened last year; Marco Estrada and Kevin Correia matched up on August 13 at Miller Park, and the result was a 1-0 game. Go figure. There's a woman involved somewhere.
Anyway, a great pitchers' duel implies that there is something at stake beyond fifth place, although you don't want to place too much emphasis on that criterion, or you wind up warbling on about Jack Morris in 1991, long after anybody cares.
Four criteria — low-scoring game, quality pitchers on the mound, pitchers pitch well, and something is at stake. It is a pretty easy measure of any of those. Low-scoring game … that can't be any easier to measure. Quality starting pitchers on the mound; that's not hard. Game of significance; we can get there with a little work. The only hard part is matching the scales, saying how much weight can be given to the quality of the starting pitchers, how much to the performance of the starting pitchers, how much to the score of the game, etc. That requires a pinch of subjective judgment.
OK, here's my list of the 100 Top Pitchers' Duels of 2011:
So sometimes you're at a ballgame and it's a really good pitchers' duel, so you start to wonder "Is this the best pitchers' duel I have seen this year?" or "Is this the best pitchers' duel the Rockies have had this year?" or "Is this the best pitchers' duel in the majors this year?" or, if you are Ken Burns or have a Napoleonic complex, "is this the Greatest Pitchers' Duel in Major League History?" There is, of course, no way to know, and that's where I come in.
Anything can be measured if you don't have to start out with exactly the right answer. You can get an objective answer to any question if you can accept the fact that somebody else may have a different objective answer that's just as good as yours. Those of you who wish to point out that I don't quite understand the definition of "objective" are now instructed to leave the room.
What are the elements of a great pitchers' duel? A pitchers' duel is a low-scoring game, obviously; a 1-0 game is the champion of its list. The term "pitchers' duel" implies that the starting pitchers pitch well, as opposed to staggering through five innings un-scored upon and handing it off to the bullpen. We think of a pitchers' duel more highly if it involves pitchers of stature. A 1-0 game is more memorable if it is Sabathia against Verlander than if it is Marco Estrada against Kevin Correia. Which, by the way, actually happened last year; Marco Estrada and Kevin Correia matched up on August 13 at Miller Park, and the result was a 1-0 game. Go figure. There's a woman involved somewhere.
Anyway, a great pitchers' duel implies that there is something at stake beyond fifth place, although you don't want to place too much emphasis on that criterion, or you wind up warbling on about Jack Morris in 1991, long after anybody cares.
Four criteria — low-scoring game, quality pitchers on the mound, pitchers pitch well, and something is at stake. It is a pretty easy measure of any of those. Low-scoring game … that can't be any easier to measure. Quality starting pitchers on the mound; that's not hard. Game of significance; we can get there with a little work. The only hard part is matching the scales, saying how much weight can be given to the quality of the starting pitchers, how much to the performance of the starting pitchers, how much to the score of the game, etc. That requires a pinch of subjective judgment.
OK, here's my list of the 100 Top Pitchers' Duels of 2011:
22. June 28, Florida in Oakland, Gio Gonzalez against Javier Vazquez
Snakebite loss for Javier Vazquez. A third-inning error by Handsome Hanley Ramirez led to the game's only run. Gonzalez and Andrew Bailey combined on a one-hitter and struck out 12.
Snakebite loss for Javier Vazquez. A third-inning error by Handsome Hanley Ramirez led to the game's only run. Gonzalez and Andrew Bailey combined on a one-hitter and struck out 12.
44. May 26, Giants in Florida, Ryan Vogelsong against Anibal Sanchez
Five-hit shutout for Sanchez. Vogelsong yielded one run in the seventh, on two singles and a fly ball. Florida 1, San Francisco 0.
Five-hit shutout for Sanchez. Vogelsong yielded one run in the seventh, on two singles and a fly ball. Florida 1, San Francisco 0.
50. August 13, San Francisco in Florida, Tim Lincecum against Javier Vazquez
Lincecum and Vazquez struck out ten batters each in seven innings each. San Francisco 3, Florida 0.
Lincecum and Vazquez struck out ten batters each in seven innings each. San Francisco 3, Florida 0.
58. June 20, Angels in Florida, Jered Weaver against Anibal Sanchez
Weaver and Sanchez allowed one run each in seven innings each; Angels added one against the bullpen for a 2-1 victory.
Weaver and Sanchez allowed one run each in seven innings each; Angels added one against the bullpen for a 2-1 victory.
61. September 15, Marlins in Philadelphia, Cliff Lee against Alejandro Sanabia
Cliff Lee pitched nine innings, struck out 12, walked nobody and got a no-decision as the game went into extra innings at 1-1. Phillies won it in the tenth, 2-1.
Cliff Lee pitched nine innings, struck out 12, walked nobody and got a no-decision as the game went into extra innings at 1-1. Phillies won it in the tenth, 2-1.
72. June 16, Florida in Philadelphia, Javier Vazquez against Cliff Lee
Two-hit shutout for Cliff Lee. Philadelphia 3, Florida 0.
Two-hit shutout for Cliff Lee. Philadelphia 3, Florida 0.
89. Also June 19, Rays and Marlins in Tampa Bay, Chris Volstad against Big Game James Shields
Shields struck out 10, four hits, complete game, only run was unearned. Tampa Bay 2, Florida 1.
Shields struck out 10, four hits, complete game, only run was unearned. Tampa Bay 2, Florida 1.
95. May 10, Phillies in Florida, Roy Halladay against Josh Johnson
Marlins stole a run in the eighth on a error by Jimmy Rollins, a wild pitch, a ground ball, and a single, beat Halladay 2-1.
Marlins stole a run in the eighth on a error by Jimmy Rollins, a wild pitch, a ground ball, and a single, beat Halladay 2-1.
Record in Duels: 2-6
By Pitcher:
Javier Vasquez: 3
Anibal Sanchez: 2
Josh Johnson: 1
Alfredo Sanabia: 1
Chris Volstad: 1
Grantland