Grayson Rodriguez tossed seven strong innings in the Los Angeles Angels' 7-4 loss to the Houston Astros on Wednesday night at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California.
ANAHEIM — The right-hander's outing marked a bounce-back start after a pair of trips to the injured list and struggles on the mound in his first year with the Angels.
Rodriguez allowed two runs on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts in the loss. Angels manager Kurt Suzuki praised his performance, saying, "I thought Grayson pitched a lot better. Changeup was a lot better. I thought the consistency with his fastballs was better. He was attacking the zone better and executing pitches. I think it's definitely a positive step in the right direction."
The key to Rodriguez's success was his ability to get ahead in counts. Before the game, he had thrown the first pitch for a strike only 53.8% of the time, which is well below the league average of 61.2%. In this outing, Rodriguez landed the first pitch for a strike 73% of the time.
Rodriguez's fastball sat at 96 mph and topped out at 98.3 mph, with his changeup resulting in whiffs on 47% of the swings against it. He attributed his improved performance to his delivery work and being in a better position going down the mound.
The outing lowered Rodriguez's ERA to 7.98, still a significant number. However, it is a step in the right direction for the right-hander who has struggled to find consistency in his first year with the Angels.
The Angels will look to bounce back from the loss in their next game against the Astros.
Source: Yahoo Sports