Frogs in the MLB: Pro Frogs are hitting their stride in July

Jake Arrieta (P/Philadelphia Phillies) -

Arrieta was in Miami on July 13, and he had a 7-inning stint on the mound. He allowed just 3 hits and kept the Marlins scoreless. He walked 3 and struck out 3 in a 2-0 win for the Phillies.

On July 20, Arrieta pitched at home against the Padres. It was rough outing, with Arrieta allowing 5 runs on 6 hits over just 3 ¹⁄₃ innings. He walked 3 and struck out 2. Fortunately, the game was saved by the rest of the Phillies’ bullpen. They won 11-5, leaving Arrieta with a no-decision on his record.

On July 25, the Phillies hosted the Dodgers. Arrieta went 6 innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits (including a home run). He struck out 6 and walked 2. The Phillies won 7-3, giving Arrieta his third win of the month. He currently sits 8-6 on the season.

Arrieta has an ERA of 3.45 with a WHIP of 1.26. You can see Arrieta’s full stats here. He’ll pitch tomorrow at Miami.

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

Where do I even begin with Carpenter these days? What an amazing summer he’s having.

I don’t usually skip games, but in this case, we won’t really talk about July 13. They played at home against the Reds, and the most exciting thing for Carp was a walk in a 9-1 loss. Booooo.

On July 14, the Cards played the Reds again. Carpenter homered in the top of the lineup at the bottom of the 1st. He hit a double in the bottom of the 6th and got to third before the inning ended. The Cardinals ended up losing 8-2.

But it would begin quite a streak for Carpenter. While I normally go game-by-game, in this case I’ll give you the overall stats. From July 14-21, Carpenter totaled 11 hits, including 8 home runs, and 12 RBIs. On July 20, he went 5-5, with 2 doubles and 3 home runs. He scored 4 runs and had 7 RBIs. Oh, and he only played 6 innings. The Cardinals beat the Cubs in an epic 18-5 victory.

The Cards and Cubs played a double-header on July 21 and Carpenter took it easy. In game 1, he homered in the top of the 3rd. However, the Cardinals couldn’t catch the Cubs and lost 7-2. In game 2, Carpenter didn’t come in until the top of the 7th, when he hit a home run in his only at-bat of the game. The Cardinals won the game 6-3.

Since then, Carpenter’s numbers have calmed down a bit. He’s still racking up plenty of hits and runs, and Cardinals fans that doubted him at the beginning of the season should be turning in their jerseys right about now. If you’re into the whole batting-against-the-shift thing, ESPN did a great article, with some words from Carpenter.

Carpenter currently has a .275 ERA, with 66 runs and 96 hits. He has 25 home runs and 53 RBI. You can see his full stats here.

Andrew Cashner (P/Baltimore Orioles) -

Cashner returned from the DL to face the Blue Jays on the road on July 22. He went 5.2 innings, allowing 1 run on 6 hits. He walked 1 and struck out 2. The Orioles lost 5-4, but Cashner got a no-decision, which I’m totally OK with. Chalk that up to a win, given the team, season, and injuries Cashner’s been faced with.

Cashner lowered his ERA to 4.40, with a 1.50 WHIP.

You can see his full stats here.

Bryan Holaday (C/Miami Marlins) -

Holaday returned from the All-Star Break to face the Rays in Tampa Bay on July 22. He hit a single to left field in the top of the 2nd, bringing Miguel Rojas around. That would be the last run for the Marlins that day, in what was a 6-4 loss.

On July 23, the Marlins hosted the Braves. Holaday came in to catch in the top of the 8th. The Marlins struggled all night and lost the game 12-1.

Holaday currently has 5 runs and 19 hits, with 12 RBIs and 1 home run. You can see his full stats here. The Marlins will