Tanner Franklin Earns Pitcher of the Day Honors for Peoria

 
The Cardinal Chronicle
Tanner Franklin Earns Pitcher of the Day Honors for Peoria
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Tanner Franklin gave Peoria exactly what it needed Friday night: length, strikes and a chance to win.

Franklin earned The Cardinal Chronicle’s MiLB Pitcher of the Day honors after turning in 5 1/3 innings of two-run baseball in the Chiefs’ 5-4 win over Cedar Rapids at Dozer Park. The right-hander allowed only two hits, walked one and struck out four while earning his first win of the season.

It was not a flawless outing, but it was a winning one — and there is a difference. Franklin allowed two solo home runs, but he avoided the big inning, kept traffic off the bases and made Cedar Rapids earn what little it managed against him.

That matters, especially in a one-run game.

Peoria’s offense gave Franklin enough support, with Jack Gurevitch delivering a three-run homer and Jesús Báez adding a solo shot of his own. But Franklin’s work on the mound set the tone. He faced 19 batters, threw 77 pitches, 50 for strikes, and left the game with the Chiefs in position to finish the job.

For a Peoria club trying to build momentum, this was the kind of start that carries weight beyond the box score. Franklin did not overpower Cedar Rapids, but he controlled the game, limited damage and handed the bullpen a lead.

That is old-school pitching. Give your club five-plus innings, throw strikes, keep the ballgame under control and let the rest of the team go win it.

On Friday night, that was enough.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports