PHILADELPHIA — Marco Gonzales noticed the Phillies’ very right-handed lineup and knew that he must leverage his offspeed stuff whereas attacking with the fastball. Pitch sequencing and execution is the secret for the Pirates’ southpaw.
So after all, his Saturday afternoon at Residents Financial institution Park began with lefty Kyle Schwarber blasting a house run to left-center.
“It is ironic to surrender a homer to a lefty first, second pitch of the sport, after which shut them down after that,” Gonzales mentioned, cracking a little bit of a smirk in his reply.
It must be simpler to smile realizing that pitch was his one mistake of the sport. Gonzales did shut down a potent Phillies lineup for the subsequent six innings, permitting simply two runs whereas placing out 5, however lefties Aroldis Chapman and Jose Hernandez had been wild towards the highest of the Phillies’ order within the seventh and ninth, respectively, and Nick Castellanos roped a walk-off single in a 4-3 Pirates loss.
That’s now three good begins for Gonzales to start his Pirates profession, being on the hook for 5 runs over 17 innings (2.65 ERA) with 11 strikeouts to 5 walks. His path to the Pirates might not have been the flashiest offseason transfer — being dealt twice through the Winter Conferences in December with a quick layover with the Braves — however to this point, he’s pitching and feeling higher than he did at any level throughout his injury-shortened 2023 marketing campaign.
“I believe that is, so far as execution-wise and motion on my pitches, that is a few of my finest execution,” Gonzales mentioned. “I am hoping to remain inside that.”
On Saturday, that meant focusing in on the changeup. Whereas Gonzales considers it his finest providing — and the information would again that declare up, holding hitters to a .222 common towards it final season with a 29.5% whiff charge — it was solely his fourth-most frequent pitch over his first two begins, throwing it simply 14.3% of the time. That modified this outing. Of the 90 pitches he threw on Saturday, 27 had been four-seam fastballs and 26 had been changeups.
Once more, the outcomes backed him up. Gonzales obtained 11 whiffs on the afternoon, 9 of which had been with the changeup towards 18 swings (50%). All 5 of his strikeouts had been with changeups too, together with a pair towards lefties.
“At the moment, for no matter cause, obtained a whole lot of swings and misses on it,” Gonzales mentioned concerning the pitch. “I believe we set it up properly, too. Actually pounded the fastball on the inside half and used the cutter properly. Simply actually, actually leveraged it very nice.”
Taking a look at its utilization, Gonzales did pound right-handers inside with extra four-seamers and cutters, whereas the changeup would fall out of the zone low and away. And after permitting each of his runs in that first body, he was ready to make use of it to maintain the Phillies off the barrel the remainder of the best way.
“I assumed one of the best changeups he threw had been within the sixth,” mentioned supervisor Derek Shelton. “He stored them at bay. Once more, we’re speaking a few actually good lineup. After the primary inning he actually settled in and did a very nice job.
“And when he’s pitching like this, he’s a a lot calmer, extra assured man on the mound, whereas sustaining a superb psychological strategy to the sport.”
“You realize these are skilled hitters,” Gonzales mentioned. “You realize they will get you ultimately. So if you happen to keep the course, stay calm, even in an setting like this, the ball will go your means. It is actually once you let it snowball and mentally let it compound on you, then that is after they can feast. However when you’ll be able to stay inside your self and it is only a recreation of executing pitches, then that is what will get you again to your recreation.”
Up to now, he’s appeared just like the pitcher he was from 2018-2022 that the Pirates hoped he could possibly be once more after they acquired him. From rehab for his forearm surgical procedure final yr to going to Driveline to regain his changeup and cutter, he’s been constructing in the direction of begins like this.
“It has been a whole lot of work that is been put in for lots of months,” Gonzales mentioned. “Since final yr, actually. So it would not cease. Over the course of my life, I’ve thrown a ball for 30 years now, and I by no means stopped defining my craft and attempting to be a grasp at it. That is what I hope to be.”
