Sonny Gray makes it clear that he wants to pitch deeper into games
Twins starting pitcher Sonny Gray fanned 10 batters over six innings to lead to the Twins to a 9-0 win over the Royals Tuesday night. But one has to wonder if he's pleased with the result considering what he had to say during a pregame interview.
Asked by KSTP's Joe Schmit if "this has been a good fit" with the Twins, Gray appeared to take his time to provide a careful answer, all while delivering a very clear message:
"It's been a lot of changes over the course of this year. I'm not saying change is bad," Gray began, then taking a moment before finishing his thought. "I would like to pitch deep into ballgames. So, that's what I would like to do."
Schmit followed up: "The Twins seem to pull pitchers early. Is that something you just have to go out there and say, be the bulldog, pitch scoreless innings and they can't take you out?"
"I don't know, Joe. We'll see," Gray answered.
Gray had thrown 92 pitches when manager Rocco Baldelli pulled him after six innings and the Twins leading 3-0. Taking out a pitcher who was cooking for a bullpen that has too many times blown late-inning leads was a risk, but it didn't hurt Baldelli and Twins – at least not Tuesday night.
Gray hasn't thrown more than 97 pitches in any of his 18 starts this season. And Tuesday wasn't the first time Baldelli has yanked him with a low-ish pitch count during a good performance.
- May 18: Pulled after 84 pitches in 6 innings of 2-run ball
- May 24: Pulled after 95 pitches in 7 innings, no runs and 10 strikeouts
- May 29: Pulled after 80 pitches in 6 innings of 1-run ball
- June 27: Pulled after 97 pitches in 7 shutout innings
- July 24: Pulled after 84 pitches in 6 innings of 1-run ball
- July 30: Pulled after 79 pitches in 5 innings of 1-run ball
- Aug. 4: Pulled after 96 pitches in 5 shutout innings
Tuesday's exit came after Gray had allowed just one hit through six innings and then gave up back-to-back singles to start the seventh. Caleb Thielbar replaced Gray and got out of the mini jam, but it was another example of how Baldelli doesn't give much leash at the first sign of trouble.
But as much heat as Baldelli takes for pulling Gray early, there is data to support the decision. Take a look at Gray's ERA the first, second and third time through a batting order.
- 1st time: 1.56 ERA in 40.1 innings – .209/.263/.297
- 2nd time: 3.13 ERA in 37.1 innings – .203/.275/.368
- 3rd time: 8.25 ERA in 12 innings – .314/.386/.431
That's a small sample size – just 12 innings – this season, but his third time against an order has been consistently bad all but one season since 2016.
- 2016: 8.66 ERA third time through an order
- 2017: 5.66 ERA
- 2018: 3.27 ERA
- 2019: 6.12 ERA
- 2020: 6.30 ERA
- 2021: 7.25 ERA
Baldelli also has to be cognizant of Gray's injury history, which includes two stints on the injured list this season due to a pectoral strain in June and a hamstring injury in April. Injuries have prevented him from throwing more than 150 innings all but two seasons since 2016.
One of those seasons was 2019, when the Reds let Gray surpass 100 pitches 13 times (and he had a 2.87 ERA). He passed the 100-pitch mark four times in the shortened 2020 season but just once in 2021 with the Reds.
Gray isn't the only starter not being allowed to reach 100 pitches. In fact, only Joe Ryan (4 times), Dylan Bundy (1) and Devin Smeltzer (1) have reached 100+ pitches in a start this season. That's a grand total of six times in 115 games.
Tyler Mahle had nine straight starts with 100+ pitches this season, but in two games since being traded to the Twins he's been pulled with 86 pitches both times.
Data aside, Gray made it pretty clear that he's ready to throw deeper into games. It's just a matter if Baldelli and the Twins will let him.
