MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Chen-Wei Lin

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE
Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day: Chen-Wei Lin 
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Chen-Wei Lin did not have a spotless line Sunday afternoon, but he gave Springfield exactly what it needed.

Lin is the Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day after working four innings in the Cardinals’ 9-3 win over Northwest Arkansas at Arvest Ballpark.

His final line:

4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

That is a solid day’s work, especially when the strikeout stuff is showing.

Lin allowed two runs, both coming on solo home runs, but he did not let the game get away from him. He limited Northwest Arkansas to three hits, walked only one, and struck out six over four innings. That strikeout-to-walk line matters, and it was the strongest part of his outing.

For a young pitcher still trying to build consistency, this was a step in the right direction. The home runs are part of the line, but so are the six strikeouts and only one walk. Lin kept Springfield in the game long enough for the offense to take over, and once it did, the Cardinals never looked back.

The game was tied 2-2 after five innings before Springfield broke it open with a five-run sixth. Zach Levenson supplied the biggest thunder, hitting three home runs, including a grand slam, and driving in six runs. That gave the Cardinals more than enough room to pull away.

But Lin helped make sure Springfield was still in position when the bats erupted.

He threw 63 pitches, 43 for strikes, faced 16 batters, and worked around the two long balls without letting the Naturals build a larger inning. That is not always easy. A solo homer can stay a solo homer, or it can become the start of a crooked number. Lin kept it from becoming anything more.

The bullpen followed with steady work. Michael Watson, Randel Clemente, Tyler Bradt and José Davila combined for four scoreless innings before Northwest Arkansas added one run in the ninth.

For Springfield, the win was another important one. The Cardinals have now won four straight and remain in first place in the Texas League North second-half standings.

That is the bigger picture.

Levenson owned the offensive headline, but Lin gave Springfield the start that helped set the table. He missed bats, limited free passes, and kept the Cardinals in control long enough for the lineup to take over.

It was not perfect.

It was productive.

And on Sunday, it was enough to earn the spotlight.

Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day:
Chen-Wei Lin, RHP, Springfield Cardinals
Final Line: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Chen-Wei Lin, Springfield Cardinals | MiLB