ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — When the St. Joseph Mustangs’ pitching staff is throwing strikes, they’re one of the best in the MINK League. Prior to Friday’s game, the Mustangs sat at a league-best strikeout per nine innings of 11.01. To put that into perspective, the 2018 Houston Astros set the MLB record for team strikeout per nine of 10.44.
The problem isn’t their swing and miss stuff, the problem is finding that strike zone. They come second in the league with 103 walks.
Friday night’s first inning was the very epitome of this. Landon Jaynes, the 6’5” righty out of the University of Central Missouri, got the start against the Clarinda A’s. His first pitch of the game hit the first batter. He then walked the second, hit the third and walked the fourth. He then went on to strike out the next three batters to stop the bleeding.
“We gave almost 20 free passes,” Mustangs’ manager Johnny Coy said. “We’re a pretty good team but when you walk and hit almost 20 against a good team — I don’t know how many batters they left on base but they should’ve had about 20 runs. That just goes to show you that if you don’t throw strikes you’re not going to beat anyone good, ever. Our guys know that.”
Jaynes didn’t last long as he found himself in more trouble in the top of the third and was quickly replaced by Hutchinson Community College pitcher Bryson Augustyn. Augustyn came in and did his job, throwing a first-pitch strike and second pitch double-play ball to get out of a bases-loaded jam.
The problem isn’t their swing and miss stuff, the problem is finding that strike zone. They come second in the league with 103 walks.
Friday night’s first inning was the very epitome of this. Landon Jaynes, the 6’5” righty out of the University of Central Missouri, got the start against the Clarinda A’s. His first pitch of the game hit the first batter. He then walked the second, hit the third and walked the fourth. He then went on to strike out the next three batters to stop the bleeding.
“We gave almost 20 free passes,” Mustangs’ manager Johnny Coy said. “We’re a pretty good team but when you walk and hit almost 20 against a good team — I don’t know how many batters they left on base but they should’ve had about 20 runs. That just goes to show you that if you don’t throw strikes you’re not going to beat anyone good, ever. Our guys know that.”
Jaynes didn’t last long as he found himself in more trouble in the top of the third and was quickly replaced by Hutchinson Community College pitcher Bryson Augustyn. Augustyn came in and did his job, throwing a first-pitch strike and second pitch double-play ball to get out of a bases-loaded jam.
4 months ago
