Chris Young, Royals’ Game 4 starter, picks up Game 1 win out of bullpen
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Chris Young was told before the start of World Series Game 1 that he could be pitching Tuesday evening. But it would have been as a starter and not a reliever.
Young, the Royals’ Game 4 starter, said Royals manager Ned Yost told him to be on standby for Edinson Volquez, whose father died earlier in the day Tuesday. Volquez took the mound for Game 1, but Young ended up being needed anyway. He pitched the final three innings of the Royals 5-4, 14-inning win.
The 6-foot-10 righty was masterful. He allowed one walk in three innings and struck out four batters.
“I think it might be a month ago to the day that I had to pitch a after learning about my dad,” Young said. “And I’m not sure if Eddie knew [about his father] or not, but regardless, I know the pain he’s going through right now. Certainly he’s in our thoughts and prayers.”
Young’s father died on September 26. He found out that evening, during a game with the Minnesota Twins. He made his scheduled start the next day and threw five innings without giving up a hit before joining his family in Texas after the game.
“I certainly sympathize with the pain [Volquez is] going through tonight,” Young s
aid. “It’s hard, it’s really hard. I just really can’t describe. I just feel sorry for him and feel his pain.”
Young was the Royals’ seventh pitcher of the evening. The team still had Franklin Morales and Kris Medlen available but Yost went with Young after the 11th inning with the game tied at 4-4.
“We felt good about bringing Chris in that game because nothing affects him, nothing,” Yost said. “He’s just going to come in and make pitches and hold the fort until we could find a way to win.”
Young missed the 2013 season because of thoracic outlet syndrome and had a 3.65 ERA with the Seattle Mariners in 2014. He has pitched as both a starter and a reliever for the Royals in 2015 after signing a one-year deal with the team in spring training. He posted 3.06 ERA in 34 regular-season appearances for the Royals.
His dual role has continued into the postseason as well. His first appearance was out of the bullpen against Houston in Game 1 of the ALDS when he struck out seven batters in four innings. He then started Game 4 of the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays and struck out four in 4.2 innings. After Tuesday night’s appearance, he now has 15 strikeouts in 11.2 postseason innings.
He struck out 83 in 123.1 innings during the regular season. Young, who works with a fastball in the upper 80s and a slider, even touched 90 twice Tuesday night. It was the first time he’s hit 90 MPH since 2009 according to FanGraphs.
“It’s the World Series,” Young said. “If you were in the World Series you’d be throwing harder too.”
He’s also still on schedule to pitch in Game 4 on three days rest, according to Yost. Young threw 53 pitches in his three innings Tuesday.
“Our plan going into it was we could go 45 to 50 pitches with Chris and bring him back a day early, he’d be fine with that,” Yost said. “Once it got to the 50-pitch mark, it was okay, we’re going to go all out to win this game, and Chris is going to go as far as he could go,
“But we ended up winning the ballgame in kind of our threshold there.”
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
