Guthrie Channels Steve Carlton

I stayed up last night to watch the O's-Padres game. obviously Guthrie is pitching well, and he had a high strikeout total last night, but the thing that really impresses me about him is the way he pitches to both sides of the plate.

Steve Carlton is a nut-job in every sense of the word, but the guy could really pitch. anyway i heard him say one time the key to getting big league hitters out is to make them uncomfortable by moving the ball around in different areas of the plate. he said you can throw a great slider (and by all accounts his was one of the best), but if they know it's coming, and more importantly where it's coming, big league hitters are going to make you pay.

that's what Guthrie is doing right now. next time he throws, watch him. i mean really watch him. don't just look for strikes and balls. inside-outside-up-down. never in the same place twice. that's why he's allowing (much) fewer than one base runner per inning.

he simply can't continue the pace he's on, so we should be enjoying it, but this kid really has something, and shame on the Indians for jerking him around so much that they couldn't see it. he really seems like a creature of habit and he's comfortable where he is now. good for him, and good for us.