Time to update the daily complete game chart for 2015 as CGs gain some more momentum. We may well have a "horse race" to 100 if the slow but steady increase in frequency during the second half of the season follows its usual historical pattern.Of course all eyes will be on Max Scherzer in the wake of his back-to-back no-and-lo-hit games (#31, 6/14, the one-hitter vs. the Brewers; #35, 6/20, the no-hitter vs. the Pirates). That "double no-hit" thing is in play tonight and the coverage will be all-encompassing.
Elsewhere recently: Madison Bumgarner added another CG loss to 2015's totals (#33, 6/17) when he and the Giants lost to the Mariners, 2-0. It's the tenth CG loss of the year, bringing the overall W-L record in CGs for 2015 to 28-10. (CG pitchers have won 19 of the past 23 after starting out 9-6 in the early going of 2015.)
Also: the Padres' Tyson Ross (#34, 6/20) got plenty of support from the Padres in his 8-1, four-hit CG vs. the D-backs...Jake Arrieta (#36, 6/21) baffled the Twins, throwing a four-hit shutout as the Cubs won 8-0...Seattle rookie Mike Montgomery blanked the Royals, striking out ten in a 7-0 M's win (#37, 6/23).
And joining David Price and Mark Buehrle in the "race" for most CGs, Houston's Dallas Keuchel scattered six hits in blanking the Yankees (#38, 6/25), giving him his third CG of the season.
The calendar chart confirms what we've seen previously: more CGs occur over the weekend (21 for Friday-Saturday-Sunday vs. 17 for Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday).
The current pace (measured without adjusting for rate changes in the second half of the season) is 84. When you make those adjustments, the projection moves upward to 95.
It's going to be close...stay tuned.
