=== THE BAD ===
Fister's fastball was smooshier than in his first two starts. It had less pace and he did not have his command.
In the first two innings, particularly, Fister rarely hit the mitt and in fact threw a number of balls wildly off target. Check the strike zone plot at Brooksbaseball.net and count up the pitches that missed by 1-2 feet.
Later his command was better, but was never up to his first two starts.
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I thought Brooks was going to show an average FB speed of 86, 87 mph or something, though it did show 88, which is not quite as tragic.
I think that's because they counted some fastballs as changeups. He threw a LOT of 86 fastballs, and it wasn't the gun, because Wood was at 98.
Take one MORE foot off Fister's fastball and it puts tremendous pressure on the rest of his game to be perfect. ... he got an 89 FB out-and-over to Hafner, who joyfully launched it 400+ feet into his power alley.
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So, the bad -- his fastball lacked life and he was absent his key weapon, the excellent command.
That adds up to a "B Game" outing. But he'd better get back to the 87-89 fastball quickly. Dial his FB down to 86, and the odds against him proliferate...
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=== THE GOOD ===
Showed a genuine "parachute" change. I was particularly taken with the 1-1 pitch to Hafner in the sixth; you'll never see a RH change thrown any better than that one. Haf looked foolish.
Only rarely do you see a pitcher throw a changeup that seems to downshift in midflight. (A catcher once explained to us that the illusion is due to our eyes tracking with the hand as the ball is released.) Fister threw this "parachute" job, and he threw it consistently.
One strikeout was on a change that dove two feet and a foot in, right at the hitter's feet. He swung way over the top.
It was neat to see an entire Quality Start pitched around a straight changeup.
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Pitch mix: I don't know if Brooks has this right, but they counted .... wait for it ... 20 fastballs in 80 pitches.
!!!!
He actually threw 86. But whatever the count was, Fister recognized early that he had squat on the fastball, and simply started throwing offspeed. Will wonders never cease! Hey, I don't have a fastball, so what say we just throw the other pitches. I'll take about a million of those pitchers, please.
For example, first inning:
Sizemore BB - throws 4 of 5 fastballs for balls
Cabrera Flyout - Starts with 0-0 fastball wild. On 1-0, throws change down middle.
Second inning:
Valbuena -- Misses with two fastballs, 2-0 ... next pitch, changeup down the middle, 2-1
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First two starts, Fister would have dealt with 1-0, 2-0, 3-1 counts by locating a fastball. Tonight he couldn't do that. So he simply threw changeups down the pipe for strikes.
Amazing to watch a pitcher adjust, and shift so smoothly to his "B" game.
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Fister's 72 change-curve was not hit into fair territory all night, that I saw.
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The strikeout pitches were, in order: FB, Change, Curve, FB.
Both FB's were taken two inches outside, in Catfish style. The change was swatting a mosquito with a willow switch. The curve was low-away and drew a Beltre swing.
Two games, 8k, 1bb in 14 ip. That's about the ratio he'd need.
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=== THE UGLY Dept. ===
A number of cheap hits again: an infield hit to Hall; a tepid roller through the hole by Choo; there was another infield hit by somebody, I forget who.
Saunders cost Fister (and the ballclub) the win, with TWO lousy plays in the 7th: an easy fly ball off his glove, and then he stepped in front of Gutierrez awkwardly, ruining his throw home on a runner tagging. That was the ballgame.
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Sims picked up the "Black Jack" McDowell visual comp, with the lanky Fister glowering over his mitt at a 3/4 angle.
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=== EXEC SUM Dept. ===
Was not at all pleased to see a dozen 86 mph fastballs, but was pleased to see game-changing offspeed stuff and veteran pitchability.
As y'may have noticed, it's not so many 34-year-old Mariners who recognize their B games early, much less adjust so smoothly to a backup plan, that you hardly notice that they're in a B game.
Want to see the foot back on the fastball. Except for that, another feather in his cap.
ERA in three starts: 2.21. Walks, last two games: 1.
Cheers,
Dr D
After one batter I said "uh oh...he is off tonight...don't make me look stupid for backing you against French, Doogie" and after the first change-up I said "OK...he's going to be fine"..literally.
Every start I get more excited about Fister...this one is going to be a pitcher we're going to build around...I can feel it. Now you can all resume avoiding cheering in the press box.
Yeah that was exactly it.
Funny thing - first start was the same way. First 4-5 pitches I'm going, UH-OH... then the cart sort of wobbled onto the track.
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DO want to see that extra foot or two on the FB that he had the first two starts. Would be very nervous if he were working with an 86 FB, even if he had an excellent change and excellent command.
But hopefully the FB does get to upper 80's. That was the report out of the minors, anyway. And if it does get to upper 80's, the M's may have a cheap young starter here.
It would be about time...
The change-up will become booked if he doesn't have something else to lean on down the line and he's going to give up a lot of HRs against better hitting ballclubs with an 86-87 mph fastball. We need to make sure he can still hump up for 89-90 when the big boys are at the plate and locate it. I think the velo was down not because he couldn't throw that hard but because he couldn't locate when he went max effort tonight. He's gotta be able to keep his feather touch while throwing his guts out to use an 89 FB.
You'll notice if you look carefully at the velo and result for each pitch that his FB velo was higher on balls than strikes.
I kind of got that impression to: that he aimed 86 fastballs and hit his target; humped up to 90 and pulled it way off target.
Which, if true, would be encouraging, that his arm had the velo in it.
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Suspect that his arm was a little dead tonight. After all, look at the pitch count when Wok pulled him.
...I thought Wok pulled him in the 7th because he needed a K. Second and third, 1 out, and Mark Lowe was ready...Lowe, being a strikeout pitcher, was in to protect the lead. At least that was my impression. But you could still be right about Fister being a little weaker than normal last night.
I'd have made a change whatever the pitch count. So yeah.
Still, that would probably be the first time this year an SP was pulled at 86 for strictly matchup reasons, correct?