The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Folty has rough outing in final tune-up
Tigers end righty’s perfect spring with 6 runs in 2 innings.
LAKELAND, FLA. — This was not the final tune-up that Braves pitcher Mike Foltynewicz had in mind.
After not giving up a run in his first four Grapefruit League starts, Foltynewicz got whacked for eight hits and six runs in two innings Sunday in a 10-3 loss to the Tigers in the Braves’ final spring training game in Florida.
The Braves play exhibition games at SunTrust Park against the Yankees today and against the Braves’ top prospects on Tuesday before opening the season Thursday at home against the Phillies.
Foltynewicz gave up six runs on seven consecutive hits to start the second inning and got into his old habit of speeding things up too Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Foltynewicz had tossed 14 scoreless innings in spring training before the Detroit Tigers lit him up for eight hits and six runs in two innings Sunday in Lakeland, Fla.
much instead of taking a deep breath and slowing down when things got hectic.
“Yeah, wish we could have
ended it a little better going into the season,” said Foltynewicz, who will start the second game of the year Friday
against the Phillies. “But just kind of throw this one into the garbage.”
He had one walk and three
strikeouts and threw 28 strikes in 42 pitches against basically a full Tigers lineup. It was the second time Foltynewicz faced them in 11 days and he thought the familiarity might’ve played a part in his struggles.
Not in some of the fastballs he left over the middle of the plate, which were hit hard and would’ve been by any team, but in his pattern of secondary pitches.
“I threw some good offspeed that they might have been sitting on (expecting) a little bit,” Foltynewicz said. “I think just the pitch sequence might have got a little predictable, especially coming off pitching against them last time. Maybe mix some things up a little more and don’t get into a routine with pitches.”
Foltynewicz finished spring training with a 3.38 ERA in five official starts, having allowed just three hits and four walks in 14 innings over his first four games before Sunday. But that didn’t include a Triple-A game in his most recent outing Wednesday, when he also gave up runs including a homer.