The education continues for A's right-hander Vin Mazzaro in his second big league season.
One lesson being learned:
Balls often fly out of the yard when he falls behind in the count.
Mazzaro served up a pair of two-run homers and lasted just nfl jerseys
4 1/3 innings Sunday in a 7-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, which denied the A's a three-game sweep in front of the home crowd.
Though Mazzaro has shown improvement at times since a rocky rookie campaign in 2009, the long ball has done him damage in recent outings.
He's lost his past six decisions, posting a 5.60 ERA over that eight-start stretch, and has allowed five homers in his past two outings.
"He really hasn't thrown the ball that well in the last month or so," A's manager Bob Geren said. "He's had some decent games, but his command of the strike zone is not where it needs to be."
More important than the number of homers: the situations in which they've come.
Mazzaro (6-8) has given up 18 homers this season, and 14 have come with men on base, which leads the American League. For the second straight start, Mazzaro surrendered a homer on a 3-0 count.
He grooved a 3-0 fastball that Mike Napoli crushed for a two-run shot in the third, putting the Angels ahead 4-0. Three batters earlier, Mazzaro tried to go inside with a fastball that ran over the plate, and Bobby Abreu launched a two-run homer to right-center.
"I've given up homers on 3-0, 3-1 pitches," Mazzaro said. "I should be expecting them to 49ers jersey
be swinging. It's a matter of locating that fastball."
He's not the only Athletic to struggle in that situation.
The A's have allowed four homers on 3-0 counts -- most in the majors. They've all come in the past three weeks.
Jerry Blevins served one up to Minnesota's Jim Thome on Aug. 15; Brett Anderson allowed one to Toronto's Jose Bautista the very next day; and Mazzaro allowed yet another to the New York Yankees' Nick Swisher on Tuesday.
Geren was asked what adjustments his pitchers need to make on 3-0 pitches.
"Honestly, don't get to 3-0," he said. "A hitter can be as selective as he wants in that count. It's a count that a lot of teams don't swing away on. But when a power hitter that can hurt you gets that opportunity, really, it's not much different than 2-0."
The A's could have gained on the AL West-leading Texas Rangers for the third straight day, but they remain eight games out of first.
Mazzaro, 23, has posted a 4.06 ERA in 17 starts since joining the rotation in early June. And 12 of those have been quality starts.
But after Jeff Larish delivered a two-run double in the fourth Sunday that pulled the A's to within 4-3, Mazzaro gave a run right back in the fifth on Torii Hunter's RBI double, and Geren came with the hook.
Mazzaro has pitched recently with a blister on his right middle finger, according to catcher Landon Powell.
Though Mazzaro didn't mention the blister after the game, Saints jersey
Powell added:
"I'm not trying to blame it on that, and I don't think he would, either. But it's like having a little leak in your tire. It's not going to run as smoothly. It's definitely affected his breaking ball. It didn't have the same bite."
没有评论:
发表评论