It’s safe to say that Detroit Tigers pitcher Matthew Boyd isn’t having the start to the 2020 season that he or his team envisioned.
His outing last night against the Chicago White Sox was just the latest in a series of struggles for Boyd, who now sports a ghastly 10.24 ERA to go with his 0-2 record and 22 earned runs given up in a total of 19 1/2 innings.
However, he’s determined to not let it last. After allowing four runs in the 5th inning that would power Chicago to the win, he made a promise to his teammates and fans:
“I promise everybody out there, including my team, I will be better from this,” Boyd said after yesterday’s setback. “I’m going to continue to work. I’m not giving up on anything. What you’re seeing is a product of just understanding what my game is, what has brought me success and who I am as a pitcher.
“It’s not sitting there, throwing darts at the wall (and) seeing what works. It’s very guided, very methodical. We know how we’re going about this.”
Teammate and catcher Grayson Greiner believes that Boyd has the tools to snap out of his funk.
“He shows he’s a very good pitcher,”Greiner said. “He’s proven that, and I think he’ll tell you he hasn’t been the same guy as last year. If there’s anybody that can overcome this type of adversity, it’s definitely Matt Boyd.”
Tigers fans, will Boyd be able to make good on his promise to improve?
– – Quotes via Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press Link – –
BONUS CONTENT: Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire credits bullpen for early success
It may be early in the 2020 campaign for the Detroit Tigers, but their 9-6 record is turning some heads just one year after a 114 loss season.
And according to manager Ron Gardenhire, it’s the team’s bullpen that’s made the difference for their winning ways so far.
“Our bullpen’s solid. If we can get to those guys at the end, we have three or four guys that can really shut it down from the sixth inning on,” Gardenhire told the morning show on 97.1 The Ticket. “That’s important. I think that’s kind of the biggest thing we have going on.”
The mix of Tyler Alexander, John Schreiber and Gregory Soto have been a pleasant surprise for Detroit, who’s bullpen hasn’t been their strong suit in recent years.
