Garrett Richards turns in iffy start after returning from knee surgery
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Garrett Richards made his long-awaited season debut Sunday against the Houston Astros. While it was great to see Richards back on the mound after undergoing August knee surgery, the start probably didn’t go as well as he had hoped.
Richards allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits over five innings against Houston. He had some issues with his control, walking four batters. Richards also struck out four during the appearance.
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Richards fell into some trouble early, giving up a leadoff single to Jose Altuve in the bottom of the first. Altuve was caught stealing, but Richards then put the next man on with a walk. After an error put men on first and second, Richards walked the bases loaded. He was able to escape the jam without giving up any runs.
Richards seemed to calm down in the second, tossing just 12 pitches during a perfect inning.
Things began to fall apart in the third. After another single by Altuve, Richards gave up a two-run shot to Luis Valbuena. Richards would give up another walk, but escape without giving up any more runs.
The fourth was solid, as Richards turned in another perfect inning.
With two outs in the fifth, Richards ran into some more trouble. A single and walk put men in scoring position. An error would lead to the first run crossing the plate. Richards then gave up a run scoring single to Jason Castro. He was able to strike out Chris Carter to finish the outing. There was some question over how many pitches Richards would throw his first time out, but he was able to reach 100 before leaving the game.
Overall, the outing was mixed. Richards’ control issues aren’t all that encouraging, but it’s reasonable to assume he was amped to make his first start. Richards did tell The Stew’s Mike Oz that his knee could be an issue from a mental standpoint, so that could explain some of his early struggles. On top of that, he had to deal with two errors behind him, which may have impacted how he approached hitters.
Richards acknowledged the walks were an issue, but told MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez that he was satisfied with the outing.
“Obviously, I have some things I have to tighten up as far as the walks go,” Richards said, “but it wasn’t a terrible first outing.”
Both manager Mike Scioscia and catcher Drew Butera came away impressed with Richards’ stuff.
“His stuff is there,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said after his team ultimately lost to the Astros, 4-3, at Minute Maid Park on Sunday afternoon.
“He definitely wasn’t short of stuff,” catcher Drew Butera added. “He threw some pitches that showed some really good action.”
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Despite the poor result, the Angels are surely glad to have Richards back. The 26-year-old broke out last season, blossoming into a legitimate ace. Over 168 2/3 innings, he posted a 2.61 ERA, and a 2.60 FIP. One of the biggest reasons for Richards’ breakout was better control, so that will be something to watch moving forward.
The Angels came into the year expected to contend with Seattle, and possibly Oakland, for the division. While the results may have been questionable today, Richards’ return could be what separates Los Angeles from the rest of the division.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
