Verlander's Change In Pitching Style Results In Wins
Looks like Justin Verlander is finally adding great baseball intelligence to his great pitching ability.
Verlander has struggled to harness his talent the past couple of years. He knew where he wanted to go, he just wasn't sure how to get there.
But late last season, he sat down with pitching coach Rick Knapp and road-mapped an offseason and spring training program designed to get him past a couple of potholes on his way to what he'd like his baseball destination to be -- the Hall of Fame.
He modified his already-rigorous offseason routine, then when spring training began, he immediately went into regular-season mode. The goal: eliminate his awful Aprils and go directly to his mighty Mays.
Verlander equaled his April victory total from the last two seasons with his second win of the month, reaching 1,000 career strikeouts in Detroit's 9-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
It was the seventh straight time the Tigers have tamed the White Sox over the last two years, their longest streak against Chicago in 51 years.
Part of Verlander's problems in previous years is his tendency to muscle up -- overthrow -- when he gets in trouble. His fastball sometimes flattens out or hitters just dial up for it. The result can be big innings that turn close games in losses.
But lately he dials down as much as up when he gets in trouble, setting off his upper-90s fastball with a top-to-bottom curve or a lethal changeup. His off-speed pitches are especially effective with two strikes.
Four of his eight strikeouts were off curves or changeups. Verlander allowed three runs -- all solo home runs.
On a chilly, misty evening Verlander went early and often to his fastball, hitting 100 mph in the fourth and still throwing heaters up to 98 in the seventh. Roughly half his 117 pitches were fastballs.
A three-run home run beat him in his first start of the season, at New York, and he lost a 2-0 game or he could be 4-0.
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