Sidney Ponson, RH Scott Kazmir, LH
(7-8, 6.04) (4-7, 4.33)
Game time is 6:15 on WJZ and FSN Florida.
I think Kazmir v. Daniel Cabrera is an interesting comparison in some ways. They're three years apart in age, but Cabrera got such a late start in baseball he could probably be considered behind Kazmir's development level, even though Kazmir is quite young and having a very solid year for a 21-year old.
Cabrera Kazmir
Age 24 21
ERA 4.64 4.33
WHIP 1.36 1.49
K/9 8.33 7.42
BB/9 4.49 5.17
IP/GS 5.80 5.69
Avg. PC 102.2 102.5
BAA .228 .245
Both throw about the same amount of pitches per start in about the same style: they struggle with their control frequently, with dominant stuff sometimes and an inability to find the plate others. Cabrera is a bit better pitcher this season than Kazmir, but not by a lot. Cabrera's average pitch count would be higher if not for a two-inning outing against Cincinnati where he threw 55. He also had an 88-pitch outing against the Phillies that lasted 3.2 innings, and had they left him in a couple batters more that one could've gotten over 100 as well. Kazmir's might be a little higher but he left a game against Detroit with an injury in the sixth at 100 pitches.
With Cabrera and Ray Miller tinkering with his delivery and things of that nature, Cabrera seems to be a high-stress pitcher to me, and even though his average pitch count isn't quite "abusive," I think it bears keeping in the back of our minds. I don't see Kazmir pitch enough to make a judgment on him in this case.
This has nothing to do with tonight's game from our side, but I don't want to talk about Ponson.