Frogs in the MLB: Carpenter sets records, Holaday back in the lineup

Jake Arrieta (P/Philadelphia Phillies) -

Arrieta should be glad to say goodbye to the month of June. After a stellar May, Arrieta has struggled in the month of June. His final appearance of the month was at home against the Yankees on June 26. Through 5 innings, he allowed 6 runs on 9 hits, including 2 home runs. He walked 1 and struck out 5. The Phillies lost 6-0. That’s a total of 7 home runs allowed for the month of June, and a win-loss record of 0-4, since his win last week was a no-decision. His defense hasn’t helped this month, with Cesar Hernandez committing a throwing error against the Yankees that handed them 3 runs while Arrieta was on the mound. Arrieta will look to July to bring his numbers back down and keep the Phillies in the running for a shot at the playoffs.

Arrieta has an ERA of 3.54 with a WHIP of 1.27. You can see Arrieta’s full stats here. He’ll pitch Sunday at home against the Nationals.

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

The following tweet sums up my feelings on Matt Carpenter:

Also, resurgence*

Carpenter rounded out an amazing June performance with game 4 in the series against Milwaukee on June 24. He walked in the top of the 1st and was batted in on Marcell Ozuna’s sac fly to right field. He hit a single to center in the top of the 4th that brought in two more runs for the Cards. The Cards took home an 8-2 win and a series tied at 2-2.

On June 25, the Cardinals were home against Cleveland. Carpenter singled to center in the bottom of the 3rd and was brought in by Ozuna on a double to deep center. The Cardinals won 4-0.

On June 26, the two teams met again, and Carpenter came out swinging. Literally. The former Frog hit a home run in the bottom of the 1st.

Then a single to deep right in the bottom of the 2nd that brought in Bader. Next, he hit a single to right field in the bottom of the 4th and was batted in on Molina’s sac fly to center. In the bottom of the 6th, Carpenter doubled to right. A single by Ozuna and error by LF Michael Brantley allowed Carpenter to score his 4th run of the game. And finally, the bottom of the 8th brought a second home run by Carpenter, giving him 5 at-bats, 5 hits, and 5 runs for the game. A 5 for 5 for the Frog that Cardinal fans were doubting less than two months ago. The Cardinals took the game 11-2.

On June 27, the Cardinals finished the series with game 3. Carpenter walked in the bottom of the 3rd and was brought home by Jose Martinez’s single to right. The Cardinals lost 5-1.

Carpenter currently has 46 runs and 70 hits, with 15 home runs and 36 RBIs on the season. He‘s raised his average to .260, from .238 just a week ago. The Cardinals are playing at home against Atlanta tonight. You can see his full stats here.

Andrew Cashner (P/Baltimore Orioles) -

Cashner ended June with a no-decision against the Mariners on June 25. He pitched 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits, including 1 home run. He struck out 3, while walking 4. It wasn’t the prettiest start, but he managed to keep the Birds in the game and kept the Mariners from running away with it. The Orioles ended up losing 5-3, but Cashner will surely take the no-decision over another loss on his record. He was 0-2 this month, with 2 no-decisions in his last 2 games. Here’s hoping July continues to look up for Cash and the Orioles.

Cashner currently has a 4.70 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP. Cashner will pitch at home Saturday against the Angels. You can see his full stats here.

Bryan Holaday (C/Miami Marlins) -

The Marlins were smart in keeping Holaday with them, as Realmuto was injured again, leaving Holaday as the starting catcher for the team.

On June 25, the Marlins were home against the Diamondbacks for the first in a 4-game series. Holaday walked in the bottom of the 8th with the bases loaded, allowing JT Riddle to score. That made it 7-3 Miami. They went on to win 9-5.

On June 26, Holaday grounded out in the bottom of the 4th, bringing in Riddle again and putting the Marlins on the board. While the Marlins had more hits than the ‘Backs, they couldn’t get runners home. They lost 5-3.

With the exception of a home run by Starlin Castro in the bottom of the 9th, none of the Marlins had any luck at the plate on June 27. It was a low-scoring game for both teams, with the Marlins getting a 2-1 loss.

On June 28, Holaday had a close call at first base on a grounder in the bottom of the 2nd. He was called out and the Marlins challenged the call. Looking at the replay, it looks like an absolute tie at the base, but no angle offers enough evidence to overturn the original call. Take a look at the video below and give me your opinion on the call. The Marlins lost 4-0.

Holaday currently has 4 runs and 15 hits, with 7 RBIs and 1 home run. His AVG is .179, but June was actually a strong month for Holaday. He had a .206 AVG over 34 at bats. He had 31 at bats in April and ended that month with a .161 AVG, so there’s clearly some improvement for him this season, even though he’s not starting every game. You can see his full stats here. The Marlins will host the Mets tomorrow.