A baseball career: My journal

[antidan444]

July 2, 2014 -- Cubs (41-37) at Astros (39-39)

I was amped up from the moment I climbed out of bed (about 6 a.m. ... couldn't sleep for some reason). Time moved very, VERY slowly, but eventually it was game time and I was on the field doing my pregame long-toss routine. Then it was on to the bullpen, where -- much to my delight -- my curve had a little extra snap to it. I decided right then and there to throw a couple more than usual.

Finally, at 7:05, I got to do what I've always dreamed of doing: Walking out to the mound as a major league starting pitcher. At 19 years, 4 months, 19 days, I became one of the youngest players to start a game in recent memory. That's all nice, but I care more about performance than age milestones.

Here we go.

FIRST INNING

Brett Gardner -- He caught me by surprise by bunting on the first pitch, but he didn't get much of it and Castro grabbed the ball in front of the plate and threw him out by a step.
Jeff Bianchi -- I buckled his knees with a fantastic first-pitch curve (fun!), then threw a good sinker that he grounded to short.
Anthony Rizzo -- I left a 1-1 sinker up and he drilled it to the right corner for a double.
Kendrys Morales -- I threw a good 1-1 sinker and he didn't get much wood on it, but he hit a seeing-eye RBI single through the hole at short. Annoying,
Starlin Castro -- I threw a 2-2 curve and I don't think he was looking for it because he awkwardly grounded out to third.

While unhappy about the run, I made some good pitches and was pretty happy.

SECOND INNING (trailing 1-0)

Kole Calhoun -- An 0-1 curve took care of him, with an easy foul popup.
Brett Jackson -- I left a 1-1 sinker a little higher than I wanted, and he crushed a liner to center, but it carried far enough to be caught. Got away with it!
Luis Valbuena -- I threw a 1-2 changeup in a decent spot, and he was all over it, but it got caught at the wall in left and I breathed a sigh of relief. I don't know what's going on with my change, it hasn't been fooling people. It's always been one of my best pitches, too.

THIRD INNING (trailing 1-0)

Welington Castillo -- I missed bad on the first two pitches, then missed outside with a sinker, but he reached out and lined it to center for a single anyway. This was a poor at-bat for me.
Gardner (0-1) -- I lost an 0-1 sinker and plunked him, and I was pissed at myself. Two on, no outs. Time to hitch up the pants and do some grinding.
Bianchi (0-1) -- I got cute with a 2-1 slider ... "No way he'll expect this, right?" ... and hung it, and he crushed it a foot past my head for a single. He hit it so hard, Castillo had no chance to score. Bases loaded, no outs. Fine mess I got myself in.
Rizzo (1-1, 2B) -- I wanted a ground ball here for a double play, and a good 1-1 sinker did the trick! A run scored on the 4-6-3 twin killing, but I'll take that, in that spot, every time.
Morales (1-1, RBI) -- I threw an absolutely terrible 1-0 sinker, right down the heart, and he just flat missed it, popping up to short to end the inning. He threw his bat down in disgust, while I walked off the mound counting my blessings.

In the bottom half, Jose Altuve hit an RBI double and Chris Parmelee jacked a three-run homer to stake me to a 4-2 lead!

FOURTH INNING (leading 4-2)

Castro (0-1) -- I threw a 2-2 sinker that stayed up, but also was on the outside black, and he had to reach for it and grounded out to first.
Calhoun (0-1) -- I got to 1-2 and had like three ideas in my head. Castro gave me the changeup sign, and I came close to shaking him off, but went ahead (with some trepidation) and threw it anyway ... and it backdoored over the outside corner at the knees, an absolutely perfect pitch for a strikeout.
Jackson (0-1) -- I had him down 0-2 and made some poor pitches to bring the count full. I challenged him with a sinker up, and his fly to left carried to the track but no farther to end the inning.

Fernando Martinez's homer in the bottom half gave me a 5-2 lead.

FIFTH INNING (leading 5-2)

Valbuena (0-1) -- I threw three terrible pitches, including a 2-0 sinker at chin height ... that he swung at and popped up to shallow left. Sometimes, they get themselves out.
Castillo (1-1) -- I threw three more bad pitches to fall behind 3-0, and he crushed a 3-1 sinker right at me, which I fortunately caught as the crowd gasped. That got the heart going. I also knew I was pretty fortunate to have two outs instead of two baserunners.
Gardner (0-1, HBP) -- I fell behind again, and the 2-0 sinker was at shin-level, but he swung and grounded out to second. I was terrible this inning, but the hitters bailed me out.

Our offense erupted for six runs in the bottom half for an 11-2 lead! Marwin Gonzalez unloaded a bases-loaded, three-run double, and two RBI singles and a bases-loaded walk finished the damage. Given nine runs to work with, I had a lot less pressure on me, and my only question was, how long will Porter let me go? I was at 64 pitches through five so I had plenty left.

SIXTH INNING (leading 11-2)

Bianchi (1-2) -- I threw what I thought was a good 1-1 change, but again it didn't fool the hitter and he singled up the middle. I have to be tipping that pitch.
Rizzo (1-2, 2B) -- Castro gave me the change sign again on a 1-2 pitch, and once again I half-reluctantly went with it. This one had good life on it, and Rizzo grounded to third for a well-turned 5-4-3 double play! That was his second GIDP in as many at-bats. Not a good day for him.
Morales (1-2, RBI) -- I fell behind, and Castro called for a 3-1 change. I said, "what the heck" and threw it, and he was WAY out in front and hit a weak fly to left. Castro sure has more faith in my change than I do, but he's been right. A 12-pitch inning left me at 76 pitches.

SEVENTH INNING (leading 11-2)

Castro (0-2) -- He singled down the line in left on a first-pitch sinker, but Martinez did a good job cutting it off to hold him to one.
Calhoun (0-2) -- I fell behind 2-0 and threw a room-service sinker that he topped off the end of the bat, and it bounced awkwardly to me. I had no play at second, then didn't set my feet and airmailed the throw to first into the stands for a two-base error. Oops.
Jackson (0-2) -- I threw a good 2-1 sinker that he grounded to second, scoring a meaningless run. I'll obviously take the out.
Valbuena (0-2) -- I got ahead 0-2 and threw a really good sinker trying to strike him out. Instead, he hit a seeing-eye RBI single through the hole at short.
Castillo (1-2) -- I got ahead 0-2 again, then threw kind of a meatball sinker, but he must have been looking for something else because he was late and struck out.
Gardner (0-2, HBP) -- I gave him my best curve on 1-2, and he tried to check his swing but had no chance, striking out to end the inning.

I gave up two runs, bur when you're leading by nine, it doesn't matter. I was at 96 pitches and was wondering how much longer they'd let me go. Would they let me go the distance? My arm felt fine.

EIGHTH INNING (leading 11-4)

Bianchi (2-3) -- He swung at a 2-1 sinker at his shins and actually drove it pretty good, but to dead center, where there was plenty of room to make the catch. This guy is a tough out.
Rizzo (1-3, 2B) -- I walked him on five pitches, all sinkers, and started to wonder if Porter would come get me. I still felt OK but the pitches were adding up. Well, he's not coming out yet ...
Morales (1-3, RBI) -- I got to 1-2 and Castro gave me the change sign again, but I wanted to try my luck with a hard slider. He slapped it to third and we turned a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.

I was at 109 pitches, but Porter gave me no indication that I was done. Looks like I'm going out for the ninth!

NINTH INNING (leading 11-4)

Castro (1-3) -- I threw a 1-0 slider he wasn't expecting and he flew out to right on an off-balance swing. Two to go!
Calhoun (0-3) -- I left a 1-2 sinker up and he drilled it to right for a single. I thought for sure Porter would come get me, and I actually was starting to feel a little fatigued. But Porter stayed in the dugout. Alrighty then.
Jackson (0-3) -- I fell behind 2-0 and should have been 3-0, but he chased a sinker outside and flew out weakly to left. You gotta love it when they retire themselves.
Valbuena (1-3, RBI) -- I was on fumes, but threw a good 1-0 sinker and he grounded to second to end the game.

A complete-game victory! Not too many teenagers get to do that! I got congrats from everybody and a nice standing ovation from the crowd ... including my dad, which made me laugh since he was wearing his standard Cubs jersey. Poor guy.

After the game, Porter called me into the office. He gave me exciting news: Even with the return of Chris Capuano to the rotation, they were going to keep me in the rotation. He said I would get a couple extra rest days because of Capuano's return and an off-day, and that's why he let me go a little longer today. And he said, "I know you've been a little peeved at things so far this season, and for good reason, but if you pitch like you did today, you won't have to deal with the bullpen crap anymore." Awesome ... but I still have to perform. But hey, that's the job.

GAME STATS: 9 innings, 8 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 1 walk, 3 Ks, HBP, win
SEASON STATS: 35 innings, 40 hits, 19 earned runs, 5 walks, 17 Ks, 2-1, 4.89 ERA

[antidan444]

July 9, 2014 -- Blue Jays (36-49) at Astros (44-40)

My complete-game victory seven days ago launched us on a 5-1 stretch, the best ball we've played since early May. The Jays' lineup is solid but unspectacular other than Edwin Encarnacion, whose 25 homers and 70 RBIs rank near the top of the AL.

FIRST INNING

Anthony Gose -- I started the game with a perfect curve, then he bunted the 0-1 pitch to third and was thrown out by a step.
Jon Jay -- I threw a fat first-pitch sinker and he sent it to the right corner for a double.
Brett Lawrie -- I threw two good sinkers to get ahead, and he grounded the 0-2 change back to me for an easy out.
Edwin Encarnacion -- This was an eight-pitch battle where I actually was trying to pitch around him with first base open, but unfortunately I left a 3-2 change up in the zone. The speed fooled him a little but he blooped it to right for an RBI single.
Moises Sierra -- I threw a 2-1 change and he was all over it, slamming it down the left-field line for an RBI triple. I've gotta figure out what I'm doing wrong with my change, it gets hit hard too often.
Jose Reyes -- I threw a 1-1 change at his shins, with good life, and he grounded it through the hole at second for an RBI single. Sheesh.
K.C. Hobson -- He swung at a first-pitch sinker at his shins and drilled it to the gap in left, but it was run down to end a rough inning.

We manufactured a run in the bottom half.

SECOND INNING (trailing 3-1)

Emilio Bonifacio -- I got behind 2-0 and he hit a sinker through the hole at second for a single.
A.J. Jimenez -- He drove a 3-2 sinker to deep center but Justin Maxwell tracked it down. Bonifacio tried to tag up and make it to second, and Maxwell threw him out for a rare 8-4 DP.
Gose (0-1) -- I struck him out looking on a 1-2 curve on the outside corner.

THIRD INNING (trailing 3-1)

Jay (1-1, 2B) -- He turned on a 1-1 sinker down and in, driving it to the gap in left, but again it was run down. Fernando Martinez can go get them out there.
Lawrie (0-1) -- I threw a good 0-1 change and he grounded weakly to short.
Encarnacion (1-1, RBI) -- I had him down 0-2 and couldn't put him away, but he helped me out by swinging at ball 4, a 3-2 sinker well outside that he grounded to third.

I was starting to settle in, feeling a little better about things. We manufactured another run to cut the deficit to one.

FOURTH INNING (trailing 3-2)

Sierra (1-1, 3B, RBI) -- I got behind 2-0 and threw an absolutely terrible change over the heart that he lined to right for a single. Why did I throw a change?!?
Reyes (1-1, RBI) -- He chased a 3-2 sinker down and away and grounded into a 6-4-3 DP. That was much needed.
Hobson (0-1) -- I struck him out swinging on a 1-2 sinker that was more his failure than my success.

FIFTH INNING (trailing 3-2)

Bonifacio (1-1) -- He foul-tipped a 2-2 sinker into Castro's glove for another strikeout.
Jimenez (0-1) -- I threw another fat 1-0 change and he crushed it to the left gap. No one could run this one down and Jimenez ended up with a triple.
Gose (0-2) -- I threw a 1-0 sinker up intentionally hoping for a popup, but he managed to get on top of it, driving in the run with a 6-3 groundout.
Jay (1-2, 2B) -- He chased a 1-0 sinker outside and got good wood on it, but the liner went right to Jose Altuve at second for an out.

SIXTH INNING (trailing 4-2)

Lawrie (0-2) -- He grounded a first-pitch change to short for an easy out.
Encarnacion (1-2, RBI) -- I threw a first-pitch curve that stayed up and in, and he turned on it, driving it to the left corner for a double. Good idea, bad location.
Sierra (2-2, 3B, RBI) -- I got ahead 0-2 and gave him my best sinker, down and away. He missed it by half a foot for the second out.
Reyes (1-2, RBI) -- I left a 1-0 change up in the zone and he blooped it down the line in left for an RBI double. This hit took a little wind out of me, as I really wanted to get out of the inning right here.
Hobson (0-2) -- I hung a 1-1 curve and he drilled it to left center for an RBI single. Just a terrible pitch, and I knew Porter would come get me.

Our offense never really got anything going and we lost 10-2. I got hit hard and need to figure out my changeup (and probably should stop throwing as many, which is tough because Castro loves it and calls for it a lot, and I've been told by the coaches to trust him). I also need to focus again on first-pitch strikes, I was behind in counts too much today.

GAME STATS: 5 2/3 innings, 10 hits, 6 runs, 0 walks, 4 Ks
SEASON STATS: 2-2, 5.53 ERA, 40 2/3 innings, 50 hits, 25 earned runs, 5 walks, 21 Ks