Six days after he allowed five runs and struck out a career-high 10 batters in a win over the Reds, CarmenMlodzinski prioritized efficiency heading into tonight's start against the Giants at Oracle Park.
He wanted to leverage as many counts as possible and avoid putting too much thought into hitters making contact. His focus was on getting ahead and covering as many innings as possible. By the end of the night, the Pirates were 5-2 losers at the hands of the Giants. But Mlodzinski certainly held up his end of the bargain, tossing six innings of two-run ball and throwing just 74 pitches to give his team a fighting chance with a quality start.
“Ultimately I was efficient, and that played a big factor," said Mlodzinski, who allowed seven hits but didn't walk a batter and struck out just one. "Just relied on the defense and they made some stellar plays. I let the defense play and I think that kinda painted the picture of the quality start.”
It was clear that getting ahead of hitters played a significant role in Mlodzinski's success. He did that consistently tonight, but on the few occasions when he was behind in the count, that's when the Giants were able to capitalize on pitches in the zone.
“It was more just let’s get ahead as much as possible and if they make contact early, that’s going to give us the best chance to get through six or seven innings," Mlodzinski said. "Wanted to make sure I was efficient, and for me it starts with that 0-0 count leverage.”
This latest performance was one of Mlodzinski's most efficient of the season. He previously covered six scoreless innings against the Nationals on April 15, but he threw seven less pitches in this one. He's now 2-3 with a 4.50 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in eight appearances (seven starts).
With JaredJones set to come back within the next month, questions surround what the Pirates might do to make room for him within the starting rotation. One of the more obvious options would be to move Mlodzinski back to the bullpen and allow him to return to a middle relief role in which he's thrived in.
Whether or not that's the route they end up going down, DonKelly believes Mlodzinski has proven a lot, and not just as a starter. He's shown that he's capable of providing plenty of value in a variety of different roles.
"To see what he’s done over the last year and how he’s gone about it, from starting to going down to Triple-A, back up, bullpen, starting again, I think he’s done a really good job," Kelly said. "Just something we’re not anywhere close yet to coming up with any final answers on how everything’s going to shake out after Jared gets back. It’s kind of like with the position players, sending (Nick) Yorke down, tough decision to do that. As these guys continue to pitch well, we’re gonna have some tough decisions to make."
THE ASYLUM
Another stride for Mlodzinski, albeit in loss
Six days after he allowed five runs and struck out a career-high 10 batters in a win over the Reds, Carmen Mlodzinski prioritized efficiency heading into tonight's start against the Giants at Oracle Park.
He wanted to leverage as many counts as possible and avoid putting too much thought into hitters making contact. His focus was on getting ahead and covering as many innings as possible. By the end of the night, the Pirates were 5-2 losers at the hands of the Giants. But Mlodzinski certainly held up his end of the bargain, tossing six innings of two-run ball and throwing just 74 pitches to give his team a fighting chance with a quality start.
“Ultimately I was efficient, and that played a big factor," said Mlodzinski, who allowed seven hits but didn't walk a batter and struck out just one. "Just relied on the defense and they made some stellar plays. I let the defense play and I think that kinda painted the picture of the quality start.”
It was clear that getting ahead of hitters played a significant role in Mlodzinski's success. He did that consistently tonight, but on the few occasions when he was behind in the count, that's when the Giants were able to capitalize on pitches in the zone.
“It was more just let’s get ahead as much as possible and if they make contact early, that’s going to give us the best chance to get through six or seven innings," Mlodzinski said. "Wanted to make sure I was efficient, and for me it starts with that 0-0 count leverage.”
This latest performance was one of Mlodzinski's most efficient of the season. He previously covered six scoreless innings against the Nationals on April 15, but he threw seven less pitches in this one. He's now 2-3 with a 4.50 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in eight appearances (seven starts).
With Jared Jones set to come back within the next month, questions surround what the Pirates might do to make room for him within the starting rotation. One of the more obvious options would be to move Mlodzinski back to the bullpen and allow him to return to a middle relief role in which he's thrived in.
Whether or not that's the route they end up going down, Don Kelly believes Mlodzinski has proven a lot, and not just as a starter. He's shown that he's capable of providing plenty of value in a variety of different roles.
"To see what he’s done over the last year and how he’s gone about it, from starting to going down to Triple-A, back up, bullpen, starting again, I think he’s done a really good job," Kelly said. "Just something we’re not anywhere close yet to coming up with any final answers on how everything’s going to shake out after Jared gets back. It’s kind of like with the position players, sending (Nick) Yorke down, tough decision to do that. As these guys continue to pitch well, we’re gonna have some tough decisions to make."
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