Matz Magnificent and 51s Cruise to Win Over Sky Sox

Colorado Springs Sky Sox @ Las Vegas 51s

May 26, 2015

Drew Gagnon @ Steven Matz

Teams	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Colorado	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	5	0
Las Vegas	5	0	1	0	1	0	0	2	X	9	10	0

W: Matz (6-2, 1.99 ERA); L: Gagnon (1-6, 7.78 ERA)

The Highlights:

Pitchers

Steven Matz – 7 IP, 3 H, BB, 7 SO, HBP, 77 Pitches (52 Strikes), 12 GO

Logan Verrett (2.45 ERA) – 1 IP, 2 H, R, BB, 2 SO

Jon Velasquez (3.86 ERA) – 1 IP, 2 GO

Batters

Matt Reynolds – 1-5, R, SO

T.J. Rivera – 1-5, R, BB, SO

Brooks Conrad – 1-5, R, 2B (5), 2 RBI (17)

Johnny Monell – 1-5

Brandon Allen – 2-3, 3 R, 2B (9), 2 RBI (23), BB, SB (2), SO

Wilfredo Tovar – 2-4, 3 RBI (18), SB (11), GIDP

Steven Matz – 2-3, 2 RBI (3)

Recap

Steven Matz was so good Tuesday for the Las Vegas 51s that Wally Backman had to remove him after only 77 pitches so he could get his bullpen some work. The bullpen was given a night off by Duane Below on Monday (his second straight complete game), and after only 12 pitches combined in the 6^th/7^th innings (full details below), Steven Matz was on pace to give the 51s back-to-back complete games. Logan Verrett was the first to replace Matz on the mound, and he’d allow a run in the 8^th, but the game was well out of hand by then. After the 51s added a couple more runs in the bottom of the 8^th (for good measure, and a better run differential), Jon Velasquez came in and worked a 1-2-3 9^th.

Matz is dominating the PCL better than a lot of Major League starters would, even the good ones. He had control problems early, with 11 walks over his first three starts (15.1 IP, 14 K), but hasn’t allowed more than 2 walks in a start since, with 10 walks total in his last 7 starts (48 IP, 54 K) – he has gone at least 6 innings in all of those starts, pitching in the 7^th in 6 of them. The only real complaint about this game was his 4-pitch walk leading off the 2^nd, but he worked through the next three batters like it was nothing. His velocity dropped slightly throughout the start, but he’s not always hitting 94-95 anyway, so that was nice to see early. Personally, not going to complain about the 51s taking him out after 7 IP in a Las Vegas start – even if he were in the majors, it would be making a big deal out of nothing if the Mets took him out after 7 with a 7-0 lead – because let him save his bullets for later in the year. Compared to 2014, Matz has lasted about an extra two outs per start this year, already totaling 63.1 IP, with a likely limit of around 185 IP for the year (including the playoffs, Matz totaled 153 IP in 2014). He had averaged 96+ pitches over his previous three starts, so the Mets probably wanted to limit his pitch count for the night anyway.

The 51s batted around for a 5-spot in the 1^st, with only three hits, and none for extra bases. First, Brandon Allen came through with a two run single with the bases loaded and two outs, and then Wilfredo Tovar did the same two batters later. Steven Matz would add his first RBI single of the night to make it a 5-0 game. The inning was extended early when T.J. Rivera narrowly avoided the tag at 3B after a rundown play - this led to a long argument between the umps and Colorado manager.

Brandon Allen led off the 3^rd with a walk, and then stole 2B. Two batters later, Tovar came through with his second RBI hit of the game to make it 6-0.

Allen led off the 5^th with a double, and then came home on Matz’s second RBI hit of the game.

Matt Reynolds finally joined the hit parade in the 8^th with a single, and then came home two batters later when Brooks Conrad hit a two run double.

After allowing two runs in his first outing for Las Vegas, Jon Velasquez has thrown 6 scoreless innings – 2.1 IP with Binghamton, 3.2 IP with Las Vegas.

The series continues Thursday night at 10:05 PM, with Tyler Pill looking to make it 3-straight over the Sky Sox for Las Vegas.

Matz Coverage

Table 1 – Breaking down pitch count by type and inning

Count (Strikes)	1^st	2^nd	3^rd	4^th	5^th	6^th	7^th	Total
Fastball	11 (7)	8 (4)	3 (3)	9 (6)	11 (9)	4 (4)	6 (4)	52 (37)
Changeup	0	1 (1)	1 (1)	1 (0)	3 (1)	0	0	6 (3)
Curveball	3 (1)	2 (2)	4 (2)	5 (4)	3 (2)	1 (1)	1 (0)	19 (12)
Total	14 (8)	11 (7)	8 (6)	15 (10)	17 (12)	5 (5)	7 (4)	77 (52)

Table 2 – Breaking down pitch results by type

Strike %
Total	Call	Swi	Foul

BIP%
LD	GB	FB	PU

Results
AB	BABIP	ISO	K

Fastball

71.2

34.6

3.8

13.5

.000

Changeup

50.0

0.00

16.7

0.00

.500

.333

Curveball

63.2

15.8

26.3

0.00

.500

.000

1^st inning

1) Scooter Gennett struck out swinging (K/Sw)

i. 94 MPH Fastball – called strike 0-1

ii. 95 MPH Fastball – foul 0-2

iii. 78 MPH Curveball – ball 1-2

iv. 78 MPH Curveball – swinging strike 3

2) Chris Nelson hit a groundout to Tovar (43/G)

i. 95 MPH Fastball – ball 1-0

ii. 95 MPH Fastball – ball 2-0

iii. 94 MPH Fastball – called strike 2-1

iv. 94 MPH Fastball

3) Shane Peterson struck out looking (K/Lo)

i. 95 MPH Fastball – ball 1-0

ii. 95 MPH Fastball – ball 2-0

iii. 95 MPH Fastball – called strike 2-1

iv. 79 MPH Curveball – ball 3-1

v. 95 MPH Fastball – called strike 3-2

vi. 95 MPH Fastball – called strike 3

2^nd inning

(Scoreboard went dark for the inning)

1) Matt Clark walked (BB)

i. Fastball – ball 1-0, high

ii. Fastball – ball 2-0, high

iii. Fastball – ball 3-0, high

iv. Fastball – ball 4, high

2) Nevin Ashley hit a groundout to Rivera (53/G)

i. Curveball – called strike 0-1

ii. Fastball – foul 0-2

iii. Fastball

3) Yadiel Rivera struck out swinging (K/Sw)

i. Fastball – called strike

ii. Curveball – swinging strike 0-2

iii. Changeup – swinging strike 3

4) Matt Long hit a groundout to Tovar (43/G)

i. Fastball

3^rd inning

1) Donnie Murphy hit a groundout to Conrad (3u/G)

i. 76 MPH Curveball – ball 1-0

ii. 84 MPH Changeup

2) Drew Gagnon hit a groundout to Reynolds (63/G)

i. 94 MPH Fastball – called strike 0-1

ii. 94 MPH Fastball

3) Gennett struck out swinging (K/Sw)

i. 79 MPH Curveball – ball 1-0

ii. 94 MPH Fastball – called strike 1-1

iii. 77 MPH Curveball – swinging strike 1-2

iv. 76 MPH Curveball – swinging strike 3

4^th inning

1) Nelson hit a groundout to Rivera (53/G)

i. 94 MPH Fastball – ball 1-0, inside

ii. 84 MPH Changeup – ball 2-0, bounced inside

iii. 94 MPH Fastball – called strike 2-1

iv. 94 MPH Fastball – foul 2-2

v. 76 MPH Curveball

2) Peterson hit a groundout back to Matz (1u/G)

i. 77 MPH Curveball – called strike 0-1

ii. 77 MPH Curveball – ball 1-1

iii. 94 MPH Fastball – ball 2-1

iv. 95 MPH Fastball – ball 3-1

v. Fastball

3) Clark lined a single into left center (S7/L)

i. 94 MPH Fastball – called strike 0-1

ii. 79 MPH Curveball

4) Ashley struck out swinging (K/Sw)

i. 94 MPH Fastball – foul 0-1

ii. 94 MPH Fastball – called strike 0-2

iii. 76 MPH Curveball – swinging strike 3

5^th inning

1) Rivera lined a double into the LF corner (D7/L)

i. 81 MPH Changeup – ball 1-0, outside

ii. 93 MPH Fastball – foul 1-1

iii. 84 MPH Changeup

2) Long struck out looking (K/Lo)

i. 93 MPH Fastball – called strike 0-1

ii. 77 MPH Curveball – called strike 0-2

iii. 93 MPH Fastball – called strike 3

3) Murphy hit a groundout to Reynolds (63/G)

i. 92 MPH Fastball – ball 1-0

ii. 83 MPH Changeup – ball 2-0

iii. 93 MPH Fastball – ball 3-0

iv. 92 MPH Fastball – called strike 3-1

v. 93 MPH Fastball

4) Gagnon reached on an infield single to Tovar – ball deflected off of Matz (S14/G)

i. 92 MPH Fastball – called strike 0-1

ii. 92 MPH Fastball – foul 0-2

iii. 75 MPH Curveball – ball 1-2

iv. 92 MPH Fastball – foul 1-2

v. 75 MPH Curveball

5) Gennett hit a groundout to Reynolds (63/G)

i. 94 MPH Fastball

6^th inning

1) Nelson hit a groundout to Rivera (53/G)

i. 93 MPH Fastball

2) Peterson pulled a groundout to Tovar (43/G)

i. 93 MPH Fastball – swinging strike 0-1

ii. 93 MPH Fastball – called strike 0-1

iii. 76 MPH Curveball

3) Clark lined out to Rivera (5/L)

i. 94 MPH Fastball

7^th inning

1) Ashley was hit by a pitch (HBP)

i. 94 MPH Fastball

2) Rivera hit a grounder to Tovar to start a double play (463/G)

i. 91 MPH Fastball

3) Long struck out swinging (K/Sw)

i. 93 MPH Fastball – called strike 0-1

ii. 76 MPH Curveball – ball 1-1

iii. 94 MPH Fastball – ball 2-1, high and away

iv. 92 MPH Fastball – called strike

v. 93 MPH Fastball – swinging strike 3

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— Beyond The Matter (@BeyondMatter) May 27, 2015

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