Triston McKenzie continued his stellar return from injury as his Cleveland Guardians took game one of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins (3-1).
McKenzie dominated on the mound as he had seven strikeouts — three of which came against fellow MLBbro Byron Buxton — while giving up three hits and one walk.
It was the Brooklyn-born rookie’s fifth straight appearance of six innings or more where he allowed one run or less. He’s now retired 96 out of the last 112 batters he has faced.
Today, @T_eazy24 became The first pitcher in Guardians history with 6+ innings pitched and 3 or fewer hits allowed in 5 consecutive starts.
He’s also the first pitcher in club history with 6+ innings pitched and 5 or fewer hits allowed in 7 consecutive starts.@MLBbrodotcom pic.twitter.com/nVvXhyTC4S
— Brandon L. Carr (@Carrpediem21) September 15, 2021
According to Elias Sports Bureau, this performance puts him in rarefied air, joining elder bro Dwight Gooden and three other rookies who too achieved such success.
@T_eazy24 in rarefied air. https://t.co/gpl5g9t972
— Brandon L. Carr (@Carrpediem21) September 15, 2021
McKenzie recently spent 10 days on the disabled list with right shoulder fatigue, which was a little concerning after the lanky magician of the cowhide stint seemed lengthy.
Still, miraculously, time spent was minimal as he is an elite superstar on the horizon, and the numbers speak for itself.
During the recent streak of dominance, he collected 19 strikeouts in 15 total innings while only giving up three hits and one run.
But everything wasn’t all sunshine and roses for McKenzie earlier in the season. The 24-year-old made numerous trips to Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate for mechanical reasons. Still, those minor setbacks made for significant comebacks, and from the looks of it, a peripeteia is long gone.
“That was pretty much the sole purpose of me going down there (Triple-A), to figure out my control and figure out how to attack the strike zone.” He continued, “The past month in a half, past two months, has just been a culmination of all the work that was put in.”
Guardians manager DeMarlo Hale added on the situation, “When he needs to throw a strike, he’s been able to put multiple pitches that he has in the strike zone.”
McKenzie deserves all props received thus far, showing why he no longer belongs in the minors. He is holding up to his end of the bargain, and the numbers indicate so as well.
In 22 games played, “sticks” has an earned run average of 4.28 with a WHIP of .1.06. He is holding batters to a .171 average with 127 strikeouts under his belt.
After an up & down season, he proves the Guardians made the right choice by selecting him 42nd overall selection in the first round of the 2015 amateur draft, where he signed a 2.3-million-dollar deal.
At this rate, by season’s end, financial stability should be amassed.
Look for McKenzie to fan the flames on September 20th as he takes the mound against the Kansas City Royals in game two of a home doubleheader at Progressive Field. First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m