So far, so good for Esmil Rogers in his latest experiment as a starting pitcher. Alright, so technically the 5 inning performance in San Diego was a relief appearance. But in reality it was an extension of that God awful idea with Ubaldo, so I'm considering that as a start as well.
Don't argue with me. I know it's flawed.
Anyway, he pitched well there. He also pitched pretty well here, although we saw a lot of the same problems that have limited his starting potential in the past. He started slow allowing one run on two hits and a walk in the first. A total of 29 pitches in that inning.
That puts him behind the preferred starter's pace. Then he wasn't able to record enough quick outs to get back on pace and couldn't get through the 6th. But he did get the outs without allowing Washington to plate another run. Ultimately that's the most important factor, so I'll call this encouraging and something positive he can build from.
And he gets the win.
Three more positives
1. Eric Young: Eric Young had his best game in a long time at the ML level. Maybe it was his best game to date. Battling leadoff, Young was able to reach base FOUR times (one hit, THREE walks), swiped a bag and knocked in two to lead the offensive attack.
