NEW YORK -- OK, now I get it.After watching Adam Eaton struggle in spring training and get rocked in his first start of the season last Thursday at The Bank, I was beginning to wonder exactly why the Phillies gave him a three-year, $24.5 million contract in November. What is it about an injury-riddled right-hander with a 55-46 career record that was so appealing?
Tonight, I figured it out. Eaton pitched seven solid innings in a 5-2 victory at Shea, and in four career starts against the Mets, he's 4-0 with a 1.65 ERA. At Shea, he's 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA. Eaton said he hadn't really thought about his success against the Mets until tonight when he was warming up in the left-field bullpen and it was mentioned during a pregame video that profiled the starting pitchers.
“For whatever reason, I’ve pitched well here,” Eaton said. “I don't know what it is. New York’s the biggest stage. Maybe that has something to do with it."
3 comments:
A lot of good things in this game, Utley's double play being up there, but for me it was Alfonseca's eighth. When that inning began, I had fingernails. And when it was over, I still had fingernails. It was good to see them get through one for a change.
I'm with you there Paul! I am never relaxed until that final out is recorded. Eaton really had the inside pitch going to the left handed hitters it would start as a ball inside and move late to the inside corner. It really locked up Beltran. He had a hard time hitting the outside corner vs lefties but in the end it didn't hurt him. Finally, Rowand got a clutch hit! This guy has driven me crazy so far this season with his non-clutch strikeouts in important situations. Maybe this starts to break him out of this bad slump!
It's one game, fellas. But, in general, I agree with both of you.
1. Alfonseca was solid in the eighth inning. On the last day of spring training in Florida, Charlie Manuel said Ryan Madson was his setup man. Before yesterday's game, he said he no longer had a primary setup man, that maybe Jon Lieber could fill that role after he gets more accustomed to pitching in the bullpen. If Alfonseca pitches like he did last night, retiring three quality hitters (Reyes, Lo Duca, Beltran), he'll nail down that eighth-inning role.
2. Eaton said the key to his success was being able to put hitters away when he had two strikes. Also, he finished off innings when he had two outs. In his first start, last week against Atlanta, four of the eight runs he allowed came with two outs.
3. That was a HUGE double for Aaron Rowand. Since spring training started, he's looked stiff at the plate and his bat has been slow. If he starts to produce offensively, it'll make the bottom of lineup far more dangerous.
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