MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Mathews Dominates with 10 Ks
THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE
MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Mathews Dominates Durham With 10 Strikeouts
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
Quinn Mathews gave Memphis exactly what a Triple-A club wants from a starting pitcher Friday night.
Length.
Strikeouts.
Control of the game.
Mathews is the Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day after throwing seven strong innings in the Redbirds’ 7-2 win over Durham at AutoZone Park.
His final line:
7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 K
That is a frontline pitching line.
Mathews allowed only three hits, did not give up an earned run, and struck out 10. He threw 93 pitches, 62 for strikes, and gave Memphis the kind of start that lets a club play from ahead and stay there.
The only run charged to Mathews was unearned. Durham scratched across a run in the fifth inning, but Mathews never let the Bulls build anything sustained. He worked through three walks, missed bats in bunches, and kept the ball in the yard.
That last part matters.
Against a Durham lineup that had put up runs earlier in the series, Mathews kept the damage off the board. He faced 25 batters, punched out 10 of them, and turned the game over to the bullpen with Memphis in complete control.
The Redbirds’ offense gave him early support, scoring four runs in the first inning. Ramon Mendoza was the big bat, hitting two home runs and driving in four. Joshua Báez launched his 30th home run of the season, while Leo Bernal added his 13th homer and drove in two.
That gave Mathews room to attack.
And he did.
This was not just a good outing. It was the type of performance Memphis needed after fighting through a rough second-half stretch. The Redbirds have now won two straight, and a start like this helps settle everything down.
The bullpen followed the lead. Andrew Schultz struck out all three batters he faced in a clean eighth inning, continuing to make a strong impression since arriving in the organization. Austin Love finished the ninth.
But the night belonged to Mathews.
Seven innings.
No earned runs.
Ten strikeouts.
That is how you take the baseball and control a game.
For a Cardinals system always looking for pitching that can handle upper-level hitters, Mathews continues to be one of the more important arms to watch. Nights like Friday are why.
Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day:
Quinn Mathews, LHP, Memphis Redbirds
Final Line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 K
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Quinn Mathews, Memphis Redbirds | MLB