Liriano toast?

[Joseph Tweeks]

Is this guy THIS bad? Any reason to think he'll turn it around. He Ks 7 guys tonight, but got clocked and gave up 11 hits. The game before, he only K'd one guy, but got hammered. This just doesn't look like the same guy to me. Anybody see anything or optimistc that the Liriano of old will re-surface?

[NYMetsIn2k4]

Is this guy THIS bad? Any reason to think he'll turn it around. He Ks 7 guys tonight, but got clocked and gave up 11 hits. The game before, he only K'd one guy, but got hammered. This just doesn't look like the same guy to me. Anybody see anything or optimistc that the Liriano of old will re-surface?

i dont think the 'old liriano' will ever resurface but once he gets his control back, hell be a solid #2. hes been struggling mightly with his control so the fact that he didnt walk a batter today is encouraging but he needs to put it all together, good stuff and hitting his spots. until then, hell have poor lines like he has all season

[thebawler]

I think he'll be fine, I wouldn't panic just yet, if he pitches poorly in the next couple starts i'd start to get concerned.

And he was playing boston.

[delzsquad1]

He seemed to have similiar problems last year. Ane eventually turned it around in September. I think as the year progresses he'll find his slider and control and be a borderline #1 post asb

[acsguitar]

Anyone who k's as many people as him has something going right. He is struggling though

[AussieDodger]

Sounds delicious.

[Neato Torpedo]

Article from fangraphs about last night's game.

[Zito is God]

Liriano will never be the same. After his terrible injury he has been quoted as saying he is scared of throwing his slider. His breaking pitches as a result of this simply aren't the same as they were during his dominant rookie campaign. He still could be something decent, but I don't see more than a 15 W, 3.90 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 160 K season from him ever, and thats best case. Not to say that the stats previously mentioned are bad, but based on the "Better than Santana" label that he got during his rookie year, this is far from it.

[B-Chad]

Liriano will never be the same. After his terrible injury he has been quoted as saying he is scared of throwing his slider. His breaking pitches as a result of this simply aren't the same as they were during his dominant rookie campaign. He still could be something decent, but I don't see more than a 15 W, 3.90 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 160 K season from him ever, and thats best case. Not to say that the stats previously mentioned are bad, but based on the "Better than Santana" label that he got during his rookie year, this is far from it.

Assuming he never shakes his fear of throwing his hard biting slider more often, I would agree that his ceiling isn't much higher then that (though I'd say perhaps 3.60 ish ERA with a 1.25 WHIP, but that's really nitpicking). However, if he decides he can let loose (and doesn't manage to breakdown) and begins throwing his slider more then when he simply has a hitter at 2 strikes in the count, it's not inconceivable he could post ace numbers again, though I never see him approaching his monster rookie year.