Dear Pap:
You have a tremendous talent for getting big outs in the 9th.
However, with Major League hitters, you need to throw more than one pitch. Did you listen to the post-game interview with Johnson? He said he put a good swing on your 3-1 pitch, fouled it off & figured he had the timing down on your fastball. He definitely had the timing down on your 3-2 pitch when he knocked it out for a home run in RC.
After Farrell came out to talk to you (which was after you gave up 2 more hits & the lead) you started throwing your slider & split more. You also got the last 2 outs.
Don Orsillo asked Jerry Remy in the booth about your reliance on just the fastball lately. Jerry said he noticed fewer sliders & splits, but brushed it aside. I think Don was right on. No matter how hard you throw, if a hitter knows what's coming, he's going to put a good swing on it.
As a pitcher, you know that some days you have 1, 2 or all 3 pitches working for you. Monday you had an electric fastball & you threw it in unhittable places. Last night your command was off on your fastball & velocity may have been down a little since it was your 3rd appearance in 3 days. You could tell something was off when you got behind hitters in the count.
Go to your other pitches a little more to at least throw the hitter's timing off. It's all about interrupting a hitter's timing. It's all about using what's working that day.
You're a winner, Pap. I know you'll make the adjustment going forward. We all learn by our mistakes.
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