Note: Hope for Maine
Last night, John Maine went seven innings, and allowed just a run on five hits and struck out seven and walked none, which was the first time he hasn’t walked a batter in an outing this season.
He made 106 pitches, 72 of which were strikes.
Most importantly, Maine was efficient and his pitches were free and easy with a lot of movement on his slider, and had his trademark movement up and away to the left handed hitter with his fastball.
Maine attributed the bite on his slider to a new grip, and told reporters the adjustment he made during last night’s game was to simply pitch to contact, saying:
“I was just trying to pitch to contact a little more. Walks always hurt me, I’d always give up a lot of walks, and that’s how they end up scoring…this start I just had a better slider, and that always makes your fastball better.”
…i can’t remember a start in the past two seasons where i have been as encouraged by performance as i was with Maine last night…i don’t doubt he has been struggling with pain and weakness in that shoulder but last night told me that he might actually be over his shoulder woes…he looked so good and the movement he had on his slider made it mostly unhittable…
