Frogs in the MLB: Holaday Homers and Arrieta Wins Again

Jake Arrieta (P/Philadelphia Phillies) -

On May 6, Arrieta faced the Nationals in Washington. He had a great outing, allowing just 1 run (a home run) on 2 hits through 6 innings. He walked 2 and struck out 2. The Phillies lost 5-4, but it was a no-decision for Arrieta, keeping his win-loss record to 3-1.

Arrieta lowered his ERA to 3.15 with a WHIP of 1.08. You can see his full stats here. Arrieta will pitch tonight at home against the Mets.

Matt Carpenter (1B/St. Louis Cardinals) -

Carpenter continues to be an unknown at the plate, having good days and bad ones. While The Fourth was not with him against the Cubs (see what I did there?), May 5th brought him a little more fortune. Carpenter doubled in the bottom of the 4th, bringing in Kolten Wong and Harrison Bader, tying the game at 4-4. The Cards went on to win 8-6.

The Cardinals swept the Cubs right out of St. Louis and ushered in the Twins on May 7. Unfortunately, Carpenter didn’t see much action but for a walk and a couple strikeouts in game 1, which ended in a 6-0 loss for the Cardinals.

On May 8, jake Odorizzi pitched a stellar game for the Twins, allowing just 1 run by the Cards on 2 hits ove the first 5 innings. HIs relief crew held the Cardinals for the rest of the game, giving the Twins a 7-1 victory in game 2.

Carpenter currently has 12 runs and 16 hits, with 3 home runs and 13 RBIs on the season. He has an average of .152. You can see his full stats here. The Cardinals will be in San Diego tonight.

Andrew Cashner (P/Baltimore Orioles) -

Cashner pitched in Oakland on May 4. He had a rough day, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits, including 2 home runs, in 4 ²⁄₃ innings. He walked 3 and struck out 5. The Orioles lost 6-4, and it was actually a no-decision for Cashner.

On May 9, the Orioles were home against the Royals. Cashner had a better outing, lasting 6 innings and allowing 3 runs on 6 hits, including 1 home run. He struck out 3 and walked 2. This was another no-decision, keeping his record at 1-4. The Orioles won 5-3.

Comparatively, he had 114 pitches in 4 ²⁄₃ innings on May 4, versus 111 pitches in 6 innings on May 9. His walk rate has stayed steady this season, while his strikeout trend has gotten a bit wobbly. Hopefully he can get back in that groove and carry the Orioles to a few more wins.

Cashner currently has a 4.84 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. He’s scheduled to pitch Tuesday at home against the Phillies. You can see his full stats here.

Brandon Finnegan (P/Cincinnati Reds) -

Finnegan pitched on May 6 against the Marlins. He struggled and lasted just 3 ¹⁄₃ innings. He gave up 5 runs (3 earned) on 4 hits. He walked 3 and struck out 2 in an 8-5 loss for the Reds. Finnegan’s record is 0-3. And while Reds fans are calling for Finnegan to be removed from the starting rotation, they seem to forget that the Reds seem to enjoy a struggling pitching staff. Whether it’s the coaching, rotation order, injury issues....in the end, the Reds just need to figure out why they struggle with pitching every season. Unfortunately, Finny is caught in a bad situation that isn’t doing his career any favors.

Finnegan currently has a 7.40 ERA and a 2.03 WHIP. He’ll pitch tonight in L.A. against the Dodgers.

Bryan Holaday (C/Miami Marlins) -

On May 7, Holaday made a short appearance when he came in to catch against the Cubs. It was an ugly 14-2 loss for the Marlins.

On May 9, Holaday had a starting spot in the rotation at catcher. In another blowout win by the Cubs, the Marlins were down 13-3 in the top of the 9th when Holaday came up to bat. He hit his first home run of the season! And while it didn’t help the Marlins spark a huge comeback win, it definitely helped morale and continued to show that Holaday can be a contributor for the Marlins.

Holaday currently has 4 runs and 7 hits, with 3 RBIs. And now 1 home run! His AVG is .175. You can see his full stats here. Miami will play at home against Atlanta tonight.