Chien-Ming Wang lacks command against Miami Marlins as he joins rotation - MLB Update
Sweep which the Washington Nationals were hammered by the Miami Marlins saw Chien-Ming Wang, the starter, putting up a disappointing show. The Nationals recently gave him a place in rotation, at the exclusion of Ross Detwiler. He can throw sinkers and that
supplied bulk of the confidence the manager Davey Johnson put in him.
Quality of sinkers Wang is known for are one of the reasons behind his tremendous career win-loss record. With 60-30 career record and 339 strike-outs, the decision that Detwiler was pushed aside right away on his return was purely based on rationality.
Not going by an unexpectedly better performance of Detwiler in the season, the manager considered Wang a far better option. Thus, he sent Detwiler in the bullpen and kept Wang as starter.
While Wang recorded win in first game, in the second he looked totally out of control. A ballpark which provides an edge to the pitchers owing to vast area it is spread over, Wang will be ruing as to why he was unable to capitalise.
He was called back after just four innings and frustration was visible on his face. Last thing a starter will want is getting scratched within few innings of his beginning on the mound.
Wang was not getting his sinkers to hit the right place. Trying to throw them a bit down in the strike-zone, he was ending up placing them right in the middle. Flurry of hits sprouted up as a result and not just those made him have a forgettable time, also
sent the Nationals to a humiliating sweep at the hands of the Marlins.
Speaking through a translator, Wang shared his thoughts over why things turned so embarrassing for him.
“I wasn’t locating the ball very well tonight,” Wang said. “Sometimes my body opened too early, so I couldn’t get the ball down very well. And sometimes I was too high. I’m kind of disappointed in myself for the performance.”
Nationals’ manager Davey Johnson was unhappy with his command and hopes for sharp improvements in upcoming games.
“I think it’s just rust,” said. “I thought his stuff was good, but his command was off. When you get him throwing close to 80 pitches in not even five innings, that’s no command.”
Fate of a pitcher cannot be decided by one game. Wang has all what it takes to stand enviably among the Nationals’ powerful arms. One can envisage a far better performing coming off him in the games to come.
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