Since being called up for his Major League debut in late April, Padres rookie Eric Lauer has made two really good starts … one average start … and four borderline disastrous starts.
So will the real Eric Lauer please stand up?
On Memorial Day the 22-year-old lefty was roughed up by the Marlins, giving up five earned runs in 2.1 innings of a 7-2 Miami win. The loss put Lauer’s earned run average for the season at 7.67 and prompted questions about his immediate future with the big league club.
“Yeah we believe in him,” said Padres Manager Andy Green. “We believe he’s gonna get it. We know there’s good stuff coming for him. I mean he’s shown us the flashes of that good stuff. Marking out everybody’s path from this day to the end of the season, I couldn’t possibly tell you that at this moment. But our expectation is Eric’s going to continue to get an opportunity. He’s going to continue to rise up and meet the challenge in front of him and we’ll continue to watch him pitch. I think today the velocity, the finish to the pitches, wasn’t there.”
So that would suggest Lauer is going to continue to get his chances to figure out how to retire big league hitters. He says the inconsistency and lack of giddyup on his fastball stemmed from being too soft on his front leg, hindering his ability to get over it and generate velocity.
Good power pitchers land with a soft front leg but then stiffen it as they move forward with their upper bodies, almost catapulting energy up through their bodies to generate more and easier velocity. Lauer’s tendency to keep the plant leg bent can rob him of that little extra something he needs to put hitters away.
“That’s an adjustment I’ve got to make, I just haven’t been able to make it in-game,” said Lauer.
It might have helped if the Padres offense was able to at least keep the game close but once again the bats were mostly silent on Monday. Although they only struck out four times, a significant feat for the team that leads the National League in punchouts, San Diego mustered a mere six hits.
Their first run came on a solo homer from rookie outfielder Franmil Reyes, the second of his career and the first at Petco Park. After that the Friars didn’t score again until the 9th inning on an RBI single by Hunter Renfroe (who was activated after fellow outfielder Franchy Cordero was placed on the Disabled List with a forearm ailment).
Game two of the series is Tuesday night at Petco Park. The Padres send Tyson Ross to the mound against Marlins right-hander Dan Straily.
