Chicago Cubs' new starter Brooks Raley vows to improve after defeat – MLB News
As the Chicago Cubs’ Brooks Raley played his debut game on Tuesday, August 7 the San Diego Padres had all the surprises for him, spoiling his debut by inflicting a 7-4 defeat over the Cubs. Raley who has come to replace Matt Garza, was thrashed by the Padres’ hitters with abandon.
Matt Garza, who was sent to the disabled list for 15 days with a stress reaction in his right elbow, will not be with the team in the days ahead. So it is Raley who has to play his part in the rotation.
But things did not go particularly well for the starter who was recently promoted to the Majors from Triple-A Iowa.
With 15.75 ERA in his debut, Raley allowed seven runs and eight hits in a total of four innings compared to Ross Ohlendorf who allowed only two runs in his six-inning spell, keeping the Cubs' hitters at bay.
Raley hardly seemed dejected once the game concluded. While it might not have been a good day for him, Raley vows he will be better in the days to come.
"You'd have to say I was definitely nervous," Raley said. "It was a good experience, a good one to get out of the way. I learned a lot out there. It didn't go as I drew it up. I'm going to get better."
It was actually Carlos Quentin who hit a three-run homer to left centre in the fourth inning that completely changed the map of the game. While Raley had already given up four runs in his first three innings, Quentin made things further complicated for the young starter.
"I missed a few pitches here and there," Raley said. "Quentin made me pay on that one. It was icing on the cake."
As could be judged from Raley’s talk after the game, he is not going to give up easily. Being there in the Majors is a significantly important development in his career. He will obviously try to make maximum out of this opportunity to not only improve his own record but also strengthen the team’s defence.
Tags: