Triston McKenzie came into tonight’s game with a 6.23 ERA/7.20 FIP, the latter number being 7th worst in the league of all pitchers with 10+ IP. His biggest problem: he hadn’t faced the Oakland Athletics yet.
The Cleveland Guardians starter just barely missed the A’s as the No. 5 starter on a team that played its first four games of the season in Oakland, three of which his team won. He got wrecked in the Bronx and Seattle but rolled into the Coliseum and instantly looked like a major league pitcher again.
Instead of taking advantage of McKenzie’s control issues, the A’s offense — which ranks 26th in the league in wRC+, 17% below league average — allowed him to get away with more than he should’ve.