Astros' Tatsuya Imai sticks to two pitches, dominates Blue Jays in first time out of bullpen
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The Houston Astros have been on quite a Tatsuya Imai roller-coaster ride all season.
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There are the five quality starts, including the first six innings of a combined no-hitter against the Rangers in May. Then, there are the five starts in which he couldn't even make it out of the third inning, including his last start which ended with him walking four and recording just two outs last week.
The roller coaster was back on a high in Monday night's 3-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, even if it had to come out of the bullpen.
Imai, who was moved to the bullpen after his disastrous start against the Angels, threw three perfect innings Monday night, striking out the final five batters he faced.
When asked what he saw differently from Imai, Espada was succint: "Three innings, five punch outs, no walks."
Imai loves to throw his slider and four-seam fastball, but the Astros have tried to get him to mix in his changeup and splitter more often. The 28-year-old righty stuck to what he does best Monday, throwing nothing but sliders and fastballs. Eighteen of his 34 pitches were sliders, getting Blue Jays hitters to swing nine times, including six whiffs.
"Imai was outstanding, his slider was wipeout," Espada said.
BLUE JAYS 3, ASTROS 1
TorontoABRHBIBBSOAvg.Totals3237307Lukes rf400000.271Guerrero 1b400002.261Okamoto 3b412001.231Springer dh411002.239Kirk c411101.237Sánchez lf401101.271Schneider lf000000.147Clement 2b200100.288Giménez ss300000.230Straw cf302000.223HoustonABRHBIBBSOAvg.Totals361101510Peña ss401111.320Alvarez dh301021.330Paredes 3b400011.252Varsho cf401011.243Walker 1b501001.237Altuve 2b402000.236Trammell lf300001.236a-Dezenzo ph-lf100001.213Diaz c412002.261C.Smith rf402001.216Toronto010200000_370Houston000001000_1101a-struck out for Trammell in the 7th.
E_Trammell (2). LOB_Toronto 3, Houston 13. 2B_Straw (9). HR_Kirk (4), off Javier. RBIs_Kirk (15), Sánchez (30), Clement (36), Peña (37). SB_Straw (7). SF_Clement.
Runners left in scoring position_Toronto 2 (Giménez, Okamoto); Houston 5 (Altuve, Peña, Walker, Paredes 2). RISP_Toronto 1 for 8; Houston 1 for 5.
Runners moved up_Lukes 2. GIDP_Walker.
DP_Toronto 1 (Giménez, Clement, Guerrero); Houston 1 (Walker, Diaz, Walker).
TorontoIPHRERBBSONPERABieber, W, 3-252-391126875.11Fisher, H, 10110020194.00Little, H, 111-3000142112.00Rogers, S, 3-6100000121.62HoustonIPHRERBBSONPERAJavier, L, 1-2673302856.59Imai300005345.55Inherited runners-scored_Fisher 2-0, Little 1-0. IBB_off Fisher (Alvarez).
ABS Challenge_Alvarez (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Javier (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Clement (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Bieber (Ball-Confirmed); Trammell (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Okamoto (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Smith (Strike-Overturned to Ball).
Pitch timer violations_Fisher (pitcher).
Umpires_Home, Emil Jimenez; First, Gabe Morales; Second, Doug Eddings; Third, Mike Muchlinski.
T_2:28. A_22,789 (41,000).
Although Imai was sent to the bullpen presumably to work some things out, he said he just focused on attacking the zone and hasn't made any mechanical adjustments.
"I'm not really a big data guy," Imai said through an interpreter. "I just face the hitters, look at their swing, look at how they warm up, look at how they're set up. I think I was able to calmly look at the hitters and throw what they weren't expecting. For example, if they were looking for a slider, I was able to throw a fastball. I think I did well with that."
When the decision was made to put Imai in the bullpen, Espada said he hoped it would be "for a short period of time." Even after three perfect innings, Imai didn't call for his return to the starting rotation.
"I think my job is just to keep doing what I have to do and just keep performing," he said.
Imai hadn't come out of the bullpen this season after the Astros signed him to a three-year deal with a base salary of $54 million and opt-outs after each year and he had rarely done it when pitching in Japan
To make him feel more comfortable, he was given a heads up that he likely would be used when Cristian Javier's outing was finished and probably would stay in for more than one inning, which allowed Imai to be fully prepared for the situation.
His new bullpen mates also have made him feel welcome, forcing him to go through the rookie hazing dealt to Astros relievers that includes wearing a pink cowboy hat and toting a pink backpack full of snacks to the pen.
"Me being a rookie, that's my job and I have to do it," Imai said with a smile. "For me, when I get that hat and the backpack, my job has started already. That's my mentality."
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