Paul Skins (22), the “No. 1 ace” of the Pittsburgh Pirates, looked back on his mound.
Skins started the home game against the Seattle Mariners at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on the 17th (Korea time), and allowed three hits, one homer, four walks, six strikeouts and two runs in six innings. Pittsburgh won 5-3 thanks to his quality start, escaping 10 consecutive losses.
“Of course, I feel great. It was great to be able to break the losing streak at home. I hope it’s over now,” he said in an interview after the game.
The team won, but his pitching was not very sharp. He struggled, putting runners in the scoring position in every inning except for the third and fifth innings.
His average fastball speed was 97.9 miles, one mile below the season average. His maximum speed was 99.4 miles. He failed to exceed 100 miles in four consecutive games.
Since he was drafted by the draft last year, he has not been able to play a proper season and has been called up to the big leagues. Is the drop in speed a sign of fatigue?
“I don’t care what you want me to call you,” said Skins. “It’s my first time throwing in August. But I don’t really care,” he said.
“100 miles may sound sexy to me. But I think the important thing is to keep the ball speed throughout the game. Whatever the speed, it is important to keep the ball speed as planned. There is nothing we can do (to fail to exceed 100 miles). We will continue to fight,” he continued.
As can be seen from the four walks, he didn’t seem to have his control going as planned on this day.
“I had a hard time today,” manager Derek Shelton said of Skinns’ pitching. “The delivery didn’t match. Still, it was a good start. I gave my team a chance to win,” he said, praising the rookie lineup.
The batters also helped ease the power of his team. After allowing two runs in the fourth inning, he immediately counterattacked and succeeded in upsetting the game.
“Thanks to you, I was able to throw easily,” Skins said, thanking the fielders for their scoring support.
“He’s been doing a lot of things for me throughout the season. He also showed his success at bat today. It was great to see him,” he said, thanking catcher Yasmani Grandal for taking his credit.
When asked specifically what fits Grandal well, he continued, “Just the fact that he rarely shakes his head tells me well. He also tells my ball power even in the middle of the game and tells me how to use the pitch.”
Shelton also praised Grandal. “He has been performing productive at-bats for the past 30 days. In the past, he was one of the best hitters in the league. Now, he may not be able to keep up with him, but he is still a smart hitter. He never misses a good pitch when he gets a good one.”
“The timely hit we were looking for came out today,” he said, talking about the secret to his successive losses. “Today’s victory is a victory for the entire team. He showed good performance throughout the game,” he said, adding that all the players helped him.
He also had some regrets. Closer David Bedna struggled in the ninth inning, allowing two hits including a solo home run.토토사이트 추천
Shelton said, “There’s still some work to be done. I’m still nervous about the fastball command. But today, I was able to bounce back. Especially the last game with Justin Turner was encouraging,” he said of Bedna.
It was also regrettable that Andrew McCutchen was replaced with a left knee and O’Neill Cruz with a left neck injury. Shelton said, “Cruise injured his ankle while returning. McCutchen has been suffering from knee injuries for the past 10 to 12 days. I could swing, but the problem was running. I ran and got an abnormality today.”