Eduardo Rodriguez seeks better command as Tigers face Mariners
Eduardo Rodriguez’s return from the injured listing did not fairly go as deliberate.
However the Detroit Tigers left-hander will get one other shot to get again on monitor Friday night time in opposition to the host Seattle Mariners, when play resumes after the All-Star break
Rodriguez (4-5, 2.64 ERA) missed 5 weeks with a left index finger pulley rupture earlier than making his comeback on July 5 in opposition to visiting Oakland. He gave up a season-high 5 runs on six hits over 4 innings with seven strikeouts in a 12-3 defeat.
“Healthwise, he checked out nice, which is essential and the optimistic take out of it,” Tigers supervisor A.J. Hinch stated. “It was a bizarre recreation for him, as a result of I believed his stuff was OK.
Though Rodriguez did not stroll a batter in opposition to the Athletics, he wasn’t happy.
“The command of the fastball was in every single place,” Rodriguez stated. “I used to be getting behind plenty of the hitters, and (I) needed to come again to the strike zone and paid for it.”
By pitching Friday, Rodriguez may get 4 extra begins in earlier than the commerce deadline. With the Tigers 5 1/2 video games again within the American League Central and 10 video games behind within the wild-card chase, Rodriguez is perhaps a lovely choice for contending groups contemplating his low ERA
“I’ve to maintain myself in form, throw bullpens, lengthy bullpens, and see when my subsequent begin goes to be,” stated Rodriguez, who’s 4-4 with a 4.06 ERA in 11 profession begins in opposition to Seattle. “I have been by way of that plenty of years already.”
The Mariners are scheduled to ship right-hander Luis Castillo (6-6, 2.85) to the mound Friday. Castillo was a member of the AL staff however did not pitch in Tuesday’s All-Star Sport at T-Cell Park in Seattle
Castillo is 2-0 over his previous three begins. Final Friday at Houston, he allowed one unearned run on 5 hits in seven innings in opposition to the Astros in a 10-1 victory.
“From the fourth inning on, that is classic ‘Rock,'” Mariners supervisor Scott Servais stated of Castillo’s final outing. “The rate was there, the motion on the pitches (was there).
Castillo is 0-2 with a 3.50 ERA in three profession begins in opposition to Detroit.
The Mariners, who snapped a postseason drought that dated again to 2001 final season, bolstered their playoff hopes by successful seven of the final 9 video games earlier than the All-Star break. They took two of three in opposition to visiting Tampa Bay and host San Francisco earlier than successful three of 4 in Houston. Seattle is six video games again within the AL West, however solely 4 video games out of the ultimate wild-card berth
“To win the final three sequence offers us somewhat enhance right here going into the All-Star break,” Servais stated. “It hasn’t been a simple first half. There have been some struggles. However you search for, proper the place we’re at now, we’re (a) recreation over .500.”
Whereas their pitching has been robust all through, the Mariners have lastly began to get some offensive manufacturing. They averaged 5.1 runs over the previous 10 video games, with a .260/.351/.430 slash line
“Plenty of good issues offensively,” Servais stated. “We have got to hold it over. The visitors of runners on base is the most important purpose we have been extra constant, and you then run into some (slugging) and that is how you set up crooked numbers.”
–Discipline Stage Media
