Grayson Rodriguez's start against the Astros offered a glimmer of hope for the Angels, as the right-hander showed signs of progress after a rocky first season in an Angel uniform. His outing, though it ended in defeat, was marked by better command and a sharper changeup.
According to Angels manager Kurt Suzuki, Rodriguez's ability to attack the zone and execute his pitches made a noticeable difference. 'I thought Grayson pitched a lot better,' Suzuki said.
The only two runs Rodriguez allowed came via solo home runs. Otherwise, he kept the Astros in check, limiting hard contact to just five balls all night. Rodriguez also improved in getting ahead in the count.
Counts and velocity tell a different story
Before this start, Rodriguez had thrown the first pitch for a strike just 53.8% of the time. On Wednesday night, he improved that number to 73%. Rodriguez's fastball sat at 96 mph and touched 98.3 mph, showing increased velocity and control. Rodriguez generated 47% swings and misses against his changeup and 23% against his fastball, a result of both improved mechanics and pitch sequencing.
Rodriguez said the work he's done on his delivery helped him get into a stronger position down the mound, which in turn led to better results.
The outing lowered Rodriguez's ERA to 7.98, though that number still masks the progress he showed on the mound. His ability to pitch ahead in counts and generate swings and misses gives the Angels a reason to believe a better version of Rodriguez is emerging.