Why would you "schedule" Luke in the bullpen Tuesday?

Ok, I'm going to bring it up. What is going own with our Staff? Even Luke has been getting hit pretty damn hard. They say he is stronger and throwing harder. Yet last year he was frankly damn near un-hitable.

I originally thought that it might be a message to our pitching staff, roughly translated as "Get your stuff together, boys.  Do your part."  However, if Luke was going to be throwing in the pen anyway, why not use him in the situation.  Nevada hadn't seen him yet, but they had nearly everyone else.  Still, it was an odd decision.

Luke is fighting/learning how to pitch all over. When a guy with great movement picks up a few mph the movement stops, isn't as sharp, and/or new release points are needed.

Luke is up in the zone and his pitches don't consistently have the same movement.

A few others are plain mechanical in they are not able to repeat the same motion. We have a few "throwers" that will be very up and down until their balance point, front side allows them to repeat a fluid motion with the top and bottom halves working together.

The issue for the coaches, you'll never know which guy shows. Even within the same appearances we have guys just "disappear". Right now you meet know if the guy is putting out or tossing gas on the fire.

This weekend will be another chapter in the adventure in a ballpark/ climate where the ball can fly.

Two batters and then go home was no doubt the thought. Two best things that came out of that not working: Pearce’s stock rising (possible alternate closer to Mulhollandi). And we got to see Adley circle the bases like a young bull.

You are asking the right question and I don't have the answer.

I do think Luke threw much better in the 2nd inning he pitched Tuesday night.  Velocity was back to normal and he was keeping the ball down better than that awful 1st inning.  I think that could be attributed to not really being warm when he came in?  Starting pitchers are into routine and they know when the game will start so they can do all the warmup drills and throws to be ready to go.... relieving isn't the same.

Jake M threw 3 1/3 on Monday so I'm guessing the coaches wanted a lock down closing option in the 9th... unfortunately that may have been DP as others have noted, looked great in the strikeout.

I aslo think the first batter Luke faced was a lefty... so we had the advantage, but I believe the next 2 or 3 were Right handed hitters or switch hitters... still looking for the reason to pull DP after a K.  That is the best guessing I can do.

But I hope all of our pitchers get this turned around and I think step one is keep the ball low in the zone!  Those 3 HRs in the 4th were all belt high and FAT!

early last season when Adley was having Freshman difficulties at the plate against college pitching, Coach Casey consistently insisted that he’d be a (+) college hitter, and kept him in the heart of the batting order. And now, 12 months later we see proof of Casey’s genius. If Adley continues his progression into next season he could be a 1st Rounder. He will be THE team leader next year. It was so reassuring to see his throw on the strike ‘em out / throw ‘em out DP Tuesday night. Until that moment I’d had lingering doubts about how fully recovered he was.

Increased velocity results in a higher spin rate of the baseball, a sharper breaking, tighter wrap on a breaking pitch and more movement on the fastball. Not the opposite. Changing the release point?  Really?

And the balance point is at the moment of pause when balanced on one leg prior to moving forward into the delivery. Balance point has nothing to do with the lead or plant foot.

This smacks of voodoo medicine - are you a softball coach?  Watch baseball on T.V.?

And by the way, Luke touched 93 in Surprise, camped on 91-92 and I had a good discussion with two scouts and their take on Luke's "increase in velocity" this year.  They didn't see it.