CLEVELAND, Ohio – If that was a point start, now, it’s a point start that should leave a lasting impression on the people who make the decisions with the Indians.
Triston McKenzie, in his debut in the big leagues Saturday night, hit 10 in six innings at high speed against the Tigers at Progressive Field. He made two mistakes, one of which he had no control over, but everything turned out to be.
McKenzie allowed a first-pitch homer to his former underage teammate Willie Castro and he debuted on a night where the Indians feast as famine attacks on a hunger strike. At least that’s how it looked until the sixth inning when the Indians scored four runs en route to a 6-1 victory over the Tigers.
The runs came just in time to make McKenzie (1-0, 1.50) a winner, as he did not come for the seventh inning after throwing 80 pitches. McKenzie’s 10 strikeouts are the second most in franchise history by a pitcher making his debut. Luis Tiant holds the record for 11 strikeouts in nine innings against the Yankees on July 19, 1964.
‘Wow, that was impressive, man,’ said acting manager Sandy Alomar. “He was very impressive. I spoke with Roberto Perez (catcher) during and after the game. He said McKenzie may seem backward, even though he has a good fastball, because they attacked him really early with the fastball.
“He understood the situation, and rode back and forth, and that takes her off the fastball.”
When asked what’s up with McKenzie, a trip back to Classic Park or another star-starter, Alomar said: ‘They’re still working on that. Carl (Willis, pitching coach) Talks to Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff. But with those performances, I do not see why he would not get another chance. But that is a decision that the organization must make. ”
McKenzie’s debut was a long time in the making. The 6-5, 165-pound right-hander has not thrown up again in a game where they have kept a score for stops since the second half of the 2018 Class AA Akron season. He missed the entire 2019 season with a tight right rotator cuff and pectoral muscle. He has pitched in intrasquad games at the Indian second workout site in Eastlake since Spring Training II began on July 3rd.
He was the second full pick in Indians in 2015.
Castro gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead with a first pitcher homer in the fourth. He hit an 88 mph change 445-feet so he didn’t miss it. Unlike the Tigers’ other hitters, Castro had an idea what McKenzie was throwing.
They will play together in the Indian underage league system in 2016, 2017 and 2018. The Indians traded Castro to the Tigers for Leonys Martin in the 2018 season.
McKenzie started the inning by retiring Victor Reyes on a 94 mph fastball that he put in the middle. Castro hammered McKenzie’s change, but he did not cut. He knocked out Miguel Cabrera on four field goals, including three fastballs between 95 mph and 96 mph. The inning ended when Jonathan Schoop, who had four hits on Friday night, ran out to the center on a 95 mph fastball.
Matthew Boyd (0-4, 8.48) kept the Indians scoreless through the first five innings. Boyd entered the game with a record of 1-3 at Progressive Field and an ERA over 9.00, so it looked like the mistake was for another study in frustration, but they made something happen in the sixth event.
Jose Ramirez opened with a leadoff walk. Francisco Lindor finished to the right for his third hit of the game. After Carlos Santana ran to the right field, John Schreiber lost Boyd. He knocked out Franmil Reyes, but Jordan Luplow, who was still trying to get his batting average above 0.100, took a walk of six places to load the bases. Domingo Santana, down in the count 0-2, worked it back until even before he sent a double of three runs into the hole in left center.
Roberto Perez followed with a single to make it 4-1. Carlos Santana added a sacrificial fly in the seventh and Cesar Hernandez and RBI single in the eighth to complete the score.
“I’m just glad we were able to run some to give him the chance to get the win,” Alomar said.
Pitching coaches Carl Willis and Ruben Niebla said McKenzie would be heavy on his four-seam fastball and curveball. He did not disappoint. He threw 46 fastballs at an average of 94.5 mph. He followed with 18 curves, nine changes and seven sliders, according to baseball savant.com.
The Indians have won seven of their last eight games. They improved the last two seasons to 21-1 against the Tigers.
Center fielder Delino DeShields left the game in the fifth inning with a bad left hip.
A variety of face masks from Cleveland Indians are available online today. (Fanatics.com)
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