Chicago Cubs right-hander Hayden Wesneski dropped his head and stared on the dust mound.
The Minnesota Twins had simply clubbed their fourth dwelling run of the sport off Wesneski — the final Jorge Polanco’s 409-foot, two-run homer within the fifth — to construct a seven-run lead. Each got here from the bat of left-handed hitter who swatted Wesneski’s too many errors. The Cubs couldn’t overcome the house run barrage in an 11-1 blowout loss at Target Field.
Tucker Barnhart’s RBI single within the seventh prevented the Cubs (19-20) from getting shut out the primary time this season.
“Trying to make pitches and sometimes whether that’s mechanical or concentration, what are those factors, we’ll look at and try to get a plan these next four days and get back to work,” supervisor David Ross stated of Wesneski. “We haven’t had many clunkers like that early on (when) we’re out of the game.”
Wesneski struggled to command his stuff across the zone in opposition to a Twins lineup stacked with lefties. When he wasn’t throwing balls out of hand, his pitches too usually moved into their swing path.
“I probably could have had a better game playing going into it,” Wesneski stated. “But I considered it afterward, I used to be like I’m seven pitches away from it being a good outing. So you sort of attempt to take what you may from it.
“I was filling up zone, but not with the best pitchers. We controlled the ball today, we didn’t command it.”
One lesson Wesneski needs to take from Saturday’s tough outing is healthier understanding the place to overlook on pitches. He is aware of he must elevate his misses as an alternative of down within the zone the place he can run a pitch right into a hitter’s candy spot, like on Joey Gallo’s two-run blast within the third. Wesneski agreed with the pitch name, a four-seam fastball, and the place Barnhart wished it thrown: pre-pitch the mitt was arrange inside on the high of the zone.
“Obviously I’m a catcher, I’m not a pitcher, it seems like that would be a pretty easy adjustment to make, and he has done that for the majority of the year and today is just one of those days where it didn’t go our way,” Barnhart stated. “I thought our game plan was good, just couldn’t get enough outs today.”
Wesneski entered Saturday on a roll in his final three begins, permitting three runs in 17 innings (1.59 ERA) with one stroll and 11 strikeouts. Pitching coach Tommy Hottovy has seen enchancment in Wesneski’s between-start routine, significantly on the psychological aspect, resulting in extra centered work.
“It’s easy for him to get caught up in some other thoughts, like, this worked but I want to try this or want to do this, and it’s good to continue to want to evolve and get better and grow, but also coming back to what makes you a really, really good pitcher and that version of you and the mental focus,” Hottovy informed the Tribune.
“The things he’s focusing on as this has gone on has gotten a lot better and his attention to detail’s been really good.”
Kyle Hendricks’ impending return will quickly drive the Cubs to decide with the rotation. Hendricks will make his subsequent rehab begin Sunday at Triple-A Iowa. The staff has not introduced the following step in his rehab task.
How deep he pitches into his outing may play an element within the timing of his return. Ross not too long ago touted the significance of Hendricks adequately build up his pitch depend earlier than returning to keep away from taxing the bullpen. He cited how Jameson Taillon can also be nonetheless working into kind coming off the injured listing. Competing with two starters on pitch-count limits would create a workload problem. Getting his pitch depend round 75-80 pitches Sunday would bode effectively for Hendricks.
The Cubs don’t have to rush again Hendricks, who nonetheless has loads of time to work throughout the 30-day window pitchers obtain throughout a rehab task. Wesneski hasn’t been capable of harness the kind of consistency he confirmed throughout his September call-up. But some rising pains are anticipated with simply 12 big-league begins to his identify. That’s life within the majors.
“There’s nobody that in my opinion for the most part just gets to the big leagues and just goes,” catcher Tucker Barnhart stated. “You have to adjust to what the league is showing you and then the league adjusts to you, that constant battle back and forth. I’m not worried about it at all. He’s been so good of late for us and just had a rough one today. He’ll be back out there in five days, and I’m sure he’ll pitch well.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com
