When did Daniel Mengden turn into Greg Maddux?
The 25-year-old A's right-hander continued a brilliant May Saturday afternoon, extending his scoreless innings streak to 17 with a two-hit shutout of Arizona.
The key for Mengden has been his control. On Saturday, he threw 76 strikes compared to just 26 balls, registering first pitch strikes to 23 of the 30 batters he faced. Those numbers are truly Maddux-esque.
“Everything was working today,” Mengden said. “Bruce (Maxwell) and I had a great plan going in, and it starts with strike one.”
“It's not just strikes, it's quality strikes," A's manager Bob Melvin added. "Not a whole lot is in the middle of the plate.
"He's on the corners and he's getting balls off the end of the bat. They're not squaring him up.”
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE