TCU Frogs in the Pros: March 28-April 7, 2019

Welcome back to baseball, y’all! With former TCU players scattered throughout the League, this season has already had wins, losses, and a dash of drama. Let’s take a look at this year’s Pro Frogs.

Jake Arrieta (P/Philadelphia Phillies) -

Arrieta started his second season with the Phillies, who finished 3rd in the NL East last year and were really hoping for a shot at a wild card spot to get them into the postseason. After minor knee surgery in January and a few technique changes in the offseason, Arrieta was ready for his first start of the season.

Arrieta pitched his first game at home against the Braves on March 31. He was ready, and went 6 innings, allowing just 3 hits and 1 run, while walking 6 and striking out 6. The Phillies won 5-1, giving Arrieta a 1-0 start to the season.

On April 6, Arrieta pitched at home against the Twins. He pitched 6 innings, but struggled in the 3rd, where a wild pitch allowed Byron Buxton to score the first run of the game. He gave up two home runs after that before the Phillies could escape the inning. Arrieta settled back in and had a decent game after that, but the Phillies couldn’t recover offensively. They lost 6-2.

Arrieta is 1-1, with a 2.77 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. He’ll face the Marlins in Miami on Friday. You can see his full stats here.

Matt Carpenter (1B/3B/St. Louis Cardinals) -

Carpenter had himself an interesting opening week. He returned from a back injury in spring training to re-join the roster. He’s been with the Cardinals since 2011 and started last season with a drought at the plate, which left fans questioning whether he still had what it takes. By the end of the season, he was in the running for NL MVP, ending the season with 36 home runs and 81 RBIs.

2019 started with a series in Milwaukee. On March 28, Carpenter couldn’t seem to get anything going, and the Cardinals lost 5-4.

In Game 2, Carpenter walked in the 1st and was brought in on a home run by Paul Goldschmidt. He hit a single to right center in the top of the 7th, bringing Kolten Wong home. Then Goldschmidt hit his second homer of the night to bring Carpenter home. The Cardinals won 9-5.

Game 3 was a bit of a dry spell for the Cards, with the team losing 4-2 and Carpenter ending the game hitless.

They finished the series with Game 4 on March 31. Carpenter hit his first home run of the season in the top of the 5th, helping the Cardinals to an early lead. The Brewers started a comeback in the 7th and took the win 5-4 in the bottom of the 9th.

April 1, the Cardinals began a 2-game series against the Pirates. Carpenter couldn’t make anything happen in Game 1, except for getting ejected for telling 3rd base umpire Jordan Baker that he sucked when he called a strike. The Cardinals lost 6-5.

On April 2, Carpenter doubled to deep right in the top of the 8th, but nothing came of it. The Cardinals managed a 5-4 win after 10.

The Cards traveled home for a series against the Padres. On April 5, Carpenter doubled in the bottom of the 6th and was driven in on Ozuna’s single. It wasn’t quite enough, and the Cardinals lost 5-3.

On April 6, Carpenter singled in the bottom of the 5th and was driven in again by Marcelo Ozuna for the run, giving the Cardinals a 3-1 lead. But once again, luck was on the side of the Padres. They rallied in the 8th to hand the Cardinals a 6-4 loss.

The Cardinals finally got the best of the Padres on April 7. Carpenter walked in the bottom of the 4th and was driven home by Paul DeJong’s double later that inning. Then in the bottom of the 7th, Carpenter hit a sac fly to left, bringing in Wong to make it 3-1. The Cardinals went on to win 4-1–their only win of the series.

April 8 brought the Dodgers to St. Louis. Carpenter singled to deep right in the bottom of the 6th. He advanced when Goldschmidt walked and was brought in on Jose Martinez’s single, tying the game at 3. Goldschmidt went on to score on a wild pitch to put the Cardinals ahead 4-3. The Cardinals held the Dodgers for the win.

Carpenter currently has 7 runs on 9 hits, with 1 home run and 3 RBIs. You can see his full stats here.

Andrew Cashner (P/Baltimore Orioles) -

Cashner continues to be stuck with pitch for the Orioles, one of the worst teams in baseball last season. The Orioles finished at the bottom of the AL East last year, with just 47 wins and 115 losses.

Cashner won the starting spot for Opening Day on March 28. Unfortunately, Baltimore opened in New York, facing the Yankees, who finished second in the AL East in 2018 with twice as many wins as the Orioles. Cashner pitched through 4 innings and allowed 6 runs on 6 hits, including 1 home run. He walked 4 and struck out 3 in a game that ended in a 7-2 loss for the Orioles.

On April 2, the Orioles were in Toronto. Cashner had a much better game, pitching a 6-inning shutout and getting the Orioles a 2-1 win. He walked 3 and struck out 3.

April 8 took the Orioles to Cali, where they faced the A’s for Cashner’s third start of the season. The Orioles got out in front early, and Cashner lasted through 6 ¹⁄₃ innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits. He gave up 2 home runs, plus 1 walk and 1 strikeout. The Orioles won 12-4.

Cashner is 2-1, with a 5.28 ERA and 1.76 WHIP. He’s expected to pitch Saturday in Boston. You can see his full stats here.

Riley Ferrell (RP/Miami Marlins) -

Welcome to Frogs in the Pros, Riley Ferrell! Ferrell joins us as a relief pitcher for the Marlins, the same team we saw Bryan Holaday playing for last season. Ferrell is on the roster for the Marlins, but is on the 10-day DL for with right bicep soreness. While he hasn’t made his regular season debut yet, we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do to help a Marlins team that has struggled with consistency for awhile now. They finished 63-58 last season, putting them at the bottom of the NL East. Hopefully the talents of a solid relief pitcher can help with give the team a little more confidence on defense in later innings.

You can check out Riley’s full stats here. Good luck, Riley!