I liked our rotation two months ago. Justin Duchscherer and Brett Anderson were healthy, and Ben Sheets was an exciting free agent acquisition. Now, Duchscherer and Anderson are hurt, and Sheets is so bad that people have wondered if he's tipping his pitches. Oh well.
Vin Mazzaro comes forth tonight as SP replacement #2, making his first start of the season filling in for the cortisone-soaked hip of the Duke. In a corresponding move, Steven Tolleson has been optioned down to AAA Sacramento. Mazzaro has pitched very well so far this season for the Rivercats (1-1, 2.59 ERA), on the strength of his awesome 2-seam fastball.
Opposing him tonight will be Rangers RHP Scott Feldman, he of a perfectly average 4.31 2009 FIP and, inexplicably, 17 wins. So far this season, Feldman (1-2, 4.50 ERA) hasn't had nearly the luck he had last year. Something tells me that facing the No More Tears baby shampoo lineup of Oakland will be a good thing for him. Let's hope not.
First pitch is at 7:05 PM.
