Sunday, April 15, 2012

Know Your Enemy: April 15

*5'11" RHP Anibal Sanchez, 5'11" 205lb
*Signed by the Red Sox as an amateur free agent in 2001.
*Traded to Marlins in 2005 off-season as part of the Beckett/Hanley deal.

*Threw a no-hitter on September 6, 2006 in his 13th career MLB start. There were six rookies in the lineup for the Marlins that day, marking the most rookies to start in a no-hitter.
*Sanchez took two no-hitters beyond the 7th inning in 2011: the Rockies broke up an April 22 no-no in the 9th, and the Nationals broke one up in the 7th on May 8.
*Sanchez started 2011 6-2, but finished 2-7.
*His first start of the 2012 season came as a 6-2 win at Philadelphia, where he allowed 6H/2ER in 6.1IP, generating just three swinging strikes in 95 pitches.

*Sanchez faced Houston once in 2011, going 4.2IP, 13H/6ER, 2K:0BB (J.A. Happ was 2x3 with 2RBI) for the 2nd win of the Astros' season.
*In five starts against the Astros, Sanchez is 3-1 with a 2.37 ERA/1.29 WHIP.
*Current Astros, pitchers included, have only faced Sanchez 38 times total. Carlos Lee is 1x11 with a walk.
*Justin Maxwell is the only current Astro to hit a homer off Sanchez.

*J.A. Happ is 2-2 in eight games (five starts) against Miami, with a 4.79 ERA/1.40 WHIP.
*Current Marlins are hitting .200/.345/.311 off Happ, with 18 hits and 19 walks.
*Giancarlo Stanton is the only current Marlin to hit a homer off Happ.
*Of Marlins with 10+ PAs against Happ, Emilio Bonifacio has had the most success, hitting .364/.429/.545 in 14 PAs. Jose Reyes has a .497 OPS; Omar Infante has a .451 OPS against Happ.