Series #6 @ West Michigan
- Kumar Nambiar
- May 15, 2023
- 4 min read
The Lugnuts played a tough series against the West Michigan WhiteCaps (Detroit Tigers affiliate) but lost four of six. We are now 15-17 on the season which is good for fourth place in our division. I pitched on Tuesday and Saturday this past week. The WhiteCaps lineup did a tremendous job fouling off tough pitches and barreling up mistakes.
On Tuesday, the WhiteCaps had 17 hits and 14 runs. I entered the game in the 4th inning after our starter battled through the first three innings. I had warmed up - gotten hot is the term used in the bullpen - in the second inning as our starter approached his per inning pitch limit and again at the end of the third before entering in the fourth. Getting hot and then sitting down before warming up again and entering the game is not ideal but much better than warming up and never entering the game at all. As a bullpen arm the expectation is to be prepared at any point in the game.
The first batter I faced in the bottom of the 4th inning hit a top spun fly ball to our center fielder. It was a play that should be made every time but the wind knocked it down more than expected and the ball ended up bouncing off his glove for a leadoff double. The next batter grounded out to third, which was an awesome diving play to rob a hit. A weak single to center field and a strike out made it first and third with two outs. With their best hitter up, I quickly got to two strikes and was close to escaping the jam but I left a curveball over the plate which got hit right over the first base bag for a two run triple. The next batter grounded out to shortstop to end the inning. Had the first play of the inning been called an error, those two runs would be unearned in the stat sheet, which is unfortunate but happens. I was replaced by another pitcher after finishing the fourth inning.
I got to pitch again on Saturday in front of almost 8,000 fans - the most fans West Michigan has had all year. Our starter went seven shutout innings and I entered the game in the 8th with a six run lead but before I went into the game, this happened:
Here is the clip of the play live:
Normally, I wouldn't have tried to catch a ball like that but because of how hard it was hit and the fans sitting right next to our bullpen, it would have been dangerous to let it go. After the catch, I had to go back to focusing on getting ready to pitch in the game.
After throwing four pitches in the game, it was first and second with no one out. They had hit two weak singles and just like that, I was in a jam. On the seventh pitch to the third batter, this happened:
If I was step slower on this play, I would have been decked by the runner but I just beat him. It was a huge play to save the run and also get the out. I was absolutely gassed after the play and was elated to see my pitching coach walking to the mound for a visit. He told me, "Great play, I'm just here to give you a breather." That was a very productive visit because I struck out the next batter, West Michigan's leadoff hitter, on three pitches - all changeups. With two outs, the guy who hit the triple off me on Tuesday was coming to the plate, one of their best hitters. I got ahead 0-2 with two curveballs on the outside edge and then got him to weakly fly out to left field to end the threat. I got high fives all around in the dugout.
I went back out for the 9th inning to close the game, still leading 6-0. West Michigan does a very good job managing their crowds so when I picked up the ball to being my warmup pitches, I could barely hear myself think. It was so incredibly loud. I took a big deep breath and finished the inning smoothly: strikeout, ground out, ground out.
I got into the locker room after the game feeling pretty fired up about the outing, the win, and earning an off day on Sunday by throwing two innings Saturday. I had about 60 messages in a group chat with my closest friends in the A's organization. The first text was from our friend, Garrett Acton, who is in Triple-A and read, "GRANDE. LIGA." A direct translation to BIG LEAGUES, meaning he was getting called up to Oakland. I didn't think the night could get any better until I read through all of those texts. Garrett faced five batters on Sunday in his Major League Debut (!!!!!) against the Texas Rangers, retiring all five including two strikeouts. We got to watch on the bus back from West Michigan - what a debut!
Sunday was Mother's Day and this video sums up what my mom means to me!
The Lugnuts are home this week against the Lake County Captain (Cleveland Guardians affiliate). Thanks for reading!
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