Pleading His Case-y
Struggling starter returns to form; brings Sandmen back within 1
Sept. 12, 2009
LOS ANGELES -- In his last seven starts, Dan Casey was 0-5 with a 5.38 ERA. Early in the year, he'd been unlucky, getting virtually no run support as he pitched solidly, if not spectacularly. But this spell was different.
"Too many hits, too many walks," Casey simplified. "Not enough strikeouts. Pretty simple formula."
So Casey changed the equation, throwing more fastballs and pitching more aggressively. And in so doing, he not only struck out a season-tying high of 7, but hurled a complete game, 1-run effort as Arizona coasted to a 6-1 victory over Los Angeles to pull the Sandmen back within a game of first place.
A pair of doubles in the fourth to Benjamin Boyd and Harry Stovey were Casey's only blemish on the day.
"What a boost," third baseman Billy Nash said. "Danny gave us everything we needed today."
Nash gave three hits, including a leadoff single that sparked Arizona's four-run first inning. George Gore hit a 2-run single and Russell Martin banged a 2-run double in the inning, staking Casey to a 4-0 lead before he ever left the dugout.
Gore would add a fifth-inning solo homer, his ninth of the season.
But the day belonged to Casey.
"Momentum is only as good as the next starter," skipper Patsy Tebeau said, dipping into cliche. "We were miserable after giving that game away the other night, but Dan turned that on its head."
Tebeau and the Sandmen hope he can continue to do so the rest of the way.