As you might have read below, it was a pretty solid performance from Rowland-Smith. All things considered, to hold the Detroit Tigers to 1 run over 5 innings is a pretty good effort. And the Tigers had their opportunities too. They had baserunners on in scoring position in both the first and second innings, but were unable to convert them to runs. Ryan had good support from the field, but did a commendable job of getting back on top. He managed to bounce back and get through the 4th and 5th innings pretty effectively.
Once Ryan left the game, with the score tied at 1-1, things got a bit interesting. The Tigers' starter Nate Robertson went 9 innings, throwing only 100 pitches. Rowland-Smith's mates from the bullpen did a valiant job to back up his performance, Mark Lowe threw 1 inning, Roy Corcoran threw 2, Miguel Batista and Sean Green threw 1 a piece, and Cesar Jiminez threw 4 innings of hitless ball. By then it was the 15th inning. Considering that the bullpen had effectively thrown the entire game, things were starting to get a bit sketchy for the Mariners. The Mariners' interim manger Jim Riggleman was running out of options.
"I had a couple guys come to me and say, 'Hey, skip, I can pitch,'" Riggleman told MLB.com. "A couple position players -- Bloomquist, [third baseman Adrian] Beltre. But [R.A.] Dickey threw 100-and-plus pitches yesterday and he said, 'Let me see if I can get loose' ". But eventually, Riggleman settled with backup catcher Jamie Burke on the mound. Apparently he pitched pretty well, but he was unable to prevent the Tigers from scoring a run on a sac fly in the top of the 15th. The Mariners were unable to rein in the run in the bottom of the dig, and the game ended up with the Tigers winning 2-1.
So what next for Rowland-Smith? In his two starts he has posted the following figures:
- 8.2 innings pitched
- 9 hits
- 4 walks
- 4 earned runs
- 3 strikeouts
- 4.15 ERA and 1.50 WHIP
The Mariners rotation problems continue to plague them. Erik Bedard has been scratched from another start, and Felix Hernandez is still not ready to return yet. Rowland-Smith's ERA of 4.15 as a starter (2.92 season total) is better than three of the Mariners' five recognised starting pitchers (Felix Hernandez and Erik Bedard are doing better than 4.15, with 2.83 and 3.67 respectively, while Carlos Silva, Jarrod Washburn and Miguel Batista are all posting ERAs greater than 5.00).
Obviously he has had a heck of a lot less starting appearances than these guys, but he has been consistently effective all year. Right through spring training. He has cleaned up after poor outings from Silva , Washburn, and Dickey, and has shown versatility, toughness, and consistency. Both games he has started for the Mariners have been quite stirring team performances. While he hasnt been awarded with a win yet, the team did beat the Blue Jays in his first outing, and today's performance was certainly a remarkable one, with some great defensive plays and desire to pitch in to try and get the win. I definitely dont want to jinx things for Rowland-Smith, but I reckon the Mariners should show some faith in him and let him join the rotation.
Since the management changes that have occurred of late, the Mariners have been a somewhat different outfit. They have won 7 of their last 10 games. There seems to be a new energy at the club. This season really seems to be done and dusted for the M's as far as making the playoffs is concerned. They have the worst record in the American League and are third behind the Padres (poor old Padres) and the Washington Nationals when it comes to the worst record in MLB. They have nothing to lose, and everything to gain by blooding some youngsters. They have found a good one in Felix Hernandez, and Ryan Rowland-Smith is starting to show more and more potential every time he picks up the ball. He has shown that he wants to be a starter, and he has delivered the goods whenever he gets the chance. I think that the Mariners really ought to chuck him into the rotation for the rest of the season and let him have a shot. The biggest con for them would be losing his effectiveness out of the bullpen.
What do you think?
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