Last season, former Met Brian Bannister defied his K/9, K/BB and GB/FB ratios to finish the season at 12-9 with a 3.87 ERA and 1.21 WHIP - heady stuff for an American league starting pitcher.  In the off-season, he became a sabre fave with his ubiquity across the internet discussing how he uses statistics to get himself into more favorable pitching situations i.e 0-1 and 0-2 counts.  This year he hasn't been as fortunate with his peripherals.  Despite fairly similar K/9, K/BB and GB/FB, Bannister finds himself with a 4.94 ERA.

Looking through this morning's boxscores, I couldn't help thinking the wheels were coming off some of this year's starting pitchers who seem to be doing much better than one would expect given peripherals that defy their ERAs.  Fausto Carmona has the wonderful GB/FB, but he walks people this year like nobody's business - 38 walks versus 23 Ks in 58 IP.  He was lit-up for 6 ERs in two innings.

Scott Olsen of the Marlins has 29 walks and 29 Ks in 68 innings.  His bell was rung by the lowly Giants for 7 runs (5 earned) in 3.1 innings. 

Andres Galaragga of the Detroit Tigers has acceptable Ks (29 in 41.1 innings) but has walked 19 in that time.  Combined with a BAA of .187, there is no way he maintains a 3.70 ERA.  Last night, the Twins took him for 5 ERs in six innings and drew 5 BBs.

Entering last night, Texas Rangers' lefty Kason Gabbard was 5-2 with a 3.12 ERA despite walking 21 in 35.2 innings with just 16 Ks.  The Cleveland Indians went to town on him in 2.2 innings with six earned runs and six walks.

However, there were two pitchers who continued to defy the Statistical Gods - Joe Saunders of the Los Angeles Angels and Gavin Floyd of the Chicago White Sox.  They faced each in a pitching duel.  Saunders threw 8.1 innings allowing just a run with 4 Ks and 3 walks for the Win.  Floyd was the hard luck loser in a complete game where he walked four and struck out three.

Something has to give, right?