Zumaya's triple-digit heat stifles Sox
07/20/2006
DETROIT -- Plenty of young relievers thrive on adrenaline. Joel Zumaya hits triple digits on it. The White Sox are discovering how much adrenaline he has.
When Zumaya entered Thursday's rubber game in the seventh inning, the Tigers had just tied it. When he went out for his second inning of work, the Tigers had given him a lead to protect. He doesn't need much motivation to throw 99 mph, but an extra burst of energy will help him get to 101.
On Thursday, he hit that mark no fewer than five times, no matter which radar gun was being read. His energy didn't register with the Sox until his fist pump on his way off the mound.
"That's what makes him so good," first baseman Chris Shelton said after the 2-1 win. "Even when his adrenaline gets pumping, he doesn't let it work against him. It just helps him."
Zumaya hadn't pitched in six days since fixing a mechanical flaw over the weekend. The Tigers had rested him for a few days to have him ready for Chicago, but with Tuesday's loss and Fernando Rodney protecting Wednesday's lead, the 21-year-old right-hander hadn't had a chance to enter.
Once he entered Thursday's game in the seventh, it was as if he had six days of pent-up energy propelling his pitches towards home plate. His first pitch hit 100 mph on the Comerica Park radar gun, 99 on the ESPN broadcast. Chris Widger bunted that pitch foul, and ended up striking out on three pitches, the last hitting 101.
After Brian Anderson connected for a one-out single, Zumaya fired away at pinch-hitter Scott Podsednik and Tadahito Iguchi. He overpowered the latter with four straight triple-digit fastballs, the last of which Iguchi grounded to third base to end the inning.
Some late-inning relievers have trouble sitting in the dugout between innings, especially if a rally forces them to sit for an extended stretch. Once the Tigers took the lead, Zumaya seemingly had a new burst of life to go with a one-run advantage. He had the middle of the White Sox order coming up, but it didn't matter.
"I wasn't thinking about anything," he said. "My job is to go out there and get those guys. I've faced those guys plenty of times already. I know what my job is, and I know how to pitch to guys."
Unlike his work in the seventh, when he threw just one offspeed pitch the entire inning, Zumaya mixed his stuff more often in the eighth. He didn't give Jim Thome two straight fastballs, inducing a groundout on a 2-2 offspeed pitch. He threw back-to-back changeups to start off against Paul Konerko and missed on his way to a four-pitch walk.
With the potential tying run on base, Zumaya went back to his power arsenal. He threw back-to-back fastballs past Jermaine Dye before spotting a breaking ball on the outside corner for a called third strike.
That brought up Joe Crede, who had homered in each of the first two games of the series and driven in Chicago's only run Thursday. Zumaya went after him with three straight fastballs clocked at 100 mph, putting Crede in a 1-2 count. His next fastball registered at a mere 98 mph, but it was high, and it sent Crede down swinging.
Zumaya pumped his fist and hopped off the mound towards the dugout. Crede, taking none too kindly to the display, stared out towards him. His White Sox teammates weren't happy about it afterwards.
"I think we've gotten used to it," Konerko said. "He's got a great arm. What can you say? I guess ... the only thing you can say about that is if it ever works the other way, you can't take offense to what happens. I don't think we have guys that would do anything there ..."
Ironically, the first Major League home run given up by Zumaya came off Konerko's bat here April 10.
Zumaya wasn't sure what the big deal was about.
"Put [yourself] in my shoes," he said. "You've got the fans all standing up. They know you have 1-2 on the guy and you've got to go right after them. I reared back and threw as hard as I could and ended up getting the guy out.
"That was a big out, man. You've got the tying run on first and Crede can easily take that ball out. It was a really big out, and that's just the way I pitch. I show a lot of emotion when I get a big out like that."
It might end up being another piece of what seems to be a simmering rivalry between two teams that entered Thursday with the best records in baseball. But Zumaya feeds off competitive fire enough as it is.
"I think Zumaya's a pretty confident kid," manager Jim Leyland said. "He's going to have some ups and downs, but he's a tough kid."
Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/
DETROIT -- Plenty of young relievers thrive on adrenaline. Joel Zumaya hits triple digits on it. The White Sox are discovering how much adrenaline he has.
When Zumaya entered Thursday's rubber game in the seventh inning, the Tigers had just tied it. When he went out for his second inning of work, the Tigers had given him a lead to protect. He doesn't need much motivation to throw 99 mph, but an extra burst of energy will help him get to 101.
On Thursday, he hit that mark no fewer than five times, no matter which radar gun was being read. His energy didn't register with the Sox until his fist pump on his way off the mound.
"That's what makes him so good," first baseman Chris Shelton said after the 2-1 win. "Even when his adrenaline gets pumping, he doesn't let it work against him. It just helps him."
Zumaya hadn't pitched in six days since fixing a mechanical flaw over the weekend. The Tigers had rested him for a few days to have him ready for Chicago, but with Tuesday's loss and Fernando Rodney protecting Wednesday's lead, the 21-year-old right-hander hadn't had a chance to enter.
Once he entered Thursday's game in the seventh, it was as if he had six days of pent-up energy propelling his pitches towards home plate. His first pitch hit 100 mph on the Comerica Park radar gun, 99 on the ESPN broadcast. Chris Widger bunted that pitch foul, and ended up striking out on three pitches, the last hitting 101.
After Brian Anderson connected for a one-out single, Zumaya fired away at pinch-hitter Scott Podsednik and Tadahito Iguchi. He overpowered the latter with four straight triple-digit fastballs, the last of which Iguchi grounded to third base to end the inning.
Some late-inning relievers have trouble sitting in the dugout between innings, especially if a rally forces them to sit for an extended stretch. Once the Tigers took the lead, Zumaya seemingly had a new burst of life to go with a one-run advantage. He had the middle of the White Sox order coming up, but it didn't matter.
"I wasn't thinking about anything," he said. "My job is to go out there and get those guys. I've faced those guys plenty of times already. I know what my job is, and I know how to pitch to guys."
Unlike his work in the seventh, when he threw just one offspeed pitch the entire inning, Zumaya mixed his stuff more often in the eighth. He didn't give Jim Thome two straight fastballs, inducing a groundout on a 2-2 offspeed pitch. He threw back-to-back changeups to start off against Paul Konerko and missed on his way to a four-pitch walk.
With the potential tying run on base, Zumaya went back to his power arsenal. He threw back-to-back fastballs past Jermaine Dye before spotting a breaking ball on the outside corner for a called third strike.
That brought up Joe Crede, who had homered in each of the first two games of the series and driven in Chicago's only run Thursday. Zumaya went after him with three straight fastballs clocked at 100 mph, putting Crede in a 1-2 count. His next fastball registered at a mere 98 mph, but it was high, and it sent Crede down swinging.
Zumaya pumped his fist and hopped off the mound towards the dugout. Crede, taking none too kindly to the display, stared out towards him. His White Sox teammates weren't happy about it afterwards.
"I think we've gotten used to it," Konerko said. "He's got a great arm. What can you say? I guess ... the only thing you can say about that is if it ever works the other way, you can't take offense to what happens. I don't think we have guys that would do anything there ..."
Ironically, the first Major League home run given up by Zumaya came off Konerko's bat here April 10.
Zumaya wasn't sure what the big deal was about.
"Put [yourself] in my shoes," he said. "You've got the fans all standing up. They know you have 1-2 on the guy and you've got to go right after them. I reared back and threw as hard as I could and ended up getting the guy out.
"That was a big out, man. You've got the tying run on first and Crede can easily take that ball out. It was a really big out, and that's just the way I pitch. I show a lot of emotion when I get a big out like that."
It might end up being another piece of what seems to be a simmering rivalry between two teams that entered Thursday with the best records in baseball. But Zumaya feeds off competitive fire enough as it is.
"I think Zumaya's a pretty confident kid," manager Jim Leyland said. "He's going to have some ups and downs, but he's a tough kid."
Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/
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