Cubs ace Marcus Stroman hasn’t allowed a run in his first two starts covering 12 innings, and he believes pitching in the World Baseball Classic last month gave him a head start.
“I feel it puts you in that competitive mind frame and gets you going much earlier than spring training, where you can go through the motions at that time,” Stroman said Friday after helping beat the Rangers 2-0.
Stroman pointed to his 2017 season with the Blue Jays, when he pitched 201 innings after participating in the WBC.
Stroman’s sinker was extremely effective for the second consecutive start, as he allowed only two hits while striking out six.
“If I can get my sinker to where I can get it in the (strike) zone, I can get an out a majority of the time,” Stroman said. “If you give me more confidence, that’s a scary sight.”
Center fielder Cody Bellinger marveled at the effectiveness of Stroman’s sinker.
“I had a pretty cool feel to see how much his ball is moving,’ Bellinger said. “He’s definitely not scared of the big moment, and he trusts his stuff, and his stuff has been very good.”
Stroman became the first Cubs starter to begin the season with consecutive starts of at least six shutout innings to start a season since Mike Bielecki in 1991, according to Elias. Stroman has allowed one run or fewer in seven of his last nine starts dating to Aug. 30, 2022.
No time to wait
New rules governing the time between pitches have resulted in faster games and forcing late-inning relievers like Michael Fulmer and Brad Boxberger to start their routines sooner.
“We used to wait until the first inning or first pitch to do stuff,” said Fulmer, who pitched the final two innings of Friday’s win. “Now starting before the game has been a big thing so far.”
But Fulmer isn’t complaining about the pace of games.
“A quicker game keeps everyone focused and motivated and ready to go at any time,” Fulmer said. “You just get your stuff done a little earlier.”
This and that
Right fielder Seiya Suzuki (oblique) and left-handed reliever Brandon Hughes will start rehab assignments Saturday for Triple-A Iowa at St. Paul. Manager David Ross intimated that Suzuki could be ahead of Hughes and could have his status reassessed after Sunday’s game.
Dansby Swanson played in his 388th game since the start of 2020, tying him with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the most in the majors during that span.
